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T 


HE  SENORA'S 
GRANDDAUGHTERS 


AX 


A  TALE  OF  MODERN  ME 


JANIE  PRICHARS  DUG<SAN 


For  a'  that,  and  a?  that : 

It 's  coming  yet,  for  a'  that, 

That  man  to  man,  the  wide  world  o'er, 

Shall  brothers  be  for  a'  that. 

—•Robert  'Burns 


a* 


PHILADELPHIA 

AMERICAN  BAPTIST  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY 
1420  Chestnut  Street 


Copyright  1898  by  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society 


ftom  tbc  Society's  own  f>ress 


A  la  amiga  de  mi  alma 

Sara  J3.  MowlanO 

que  tendre  por  mia 

no  *  ■  hasta  la  muerte  ' ' 

szwo  /z^sfo  ^//«  <fe  los  siglos 


606736 


PREFACE 


There  is  an  Italian  proverb  which  says,  "  Tutto  il 
mondo  e  paese"  which  being  translated  into  Eng- 
lish, means  ''All  the  world's  one  country,"  in 
other  words,  "All  the  world's  akin." 

In  telling  you,  who  are  to  read  this  tale,  about 
the  sefiora  and  her  granddaughters  and  their 
friends,  I  have  been  reminded  of  this  Italian 
proverb. 

In  one  sense,  all  the  world  is  one  country,  and 
these  new  Mexican  acquaintances  of  yours  think 
and  speak  and  act  very  much  as  Americans  or 
English  or  Italians  would  under  the  same  circum- 
stances. I  would  have  you  understand,  therefore, 
that  Mexicans  love  and  hate,  live  and  die,  as  other 
human  beings  do.  In  a  word,  there  is  "a  great 
deal  of  human  nature  "   in  Mexico. 

On  the  other  hand,  begging  the  Italian  proverb's 
pardon,  each  country  is  a  world  in  itself,  in  a  sense, 
and  it  is  interesting  to  study  the  differences  in  lan- 
guage, habits,  and  personal  traits,  peculiar  to  the 
inhabitants  of  all  these  worlds  contained  in  the  one 
big  world  we  call  the  earth. 

Now   it   must  be  understood  that    most  of  the 

5 


6  PREFACE 

characters  figuring  in  this  little  world  of  which  I 
write,  speak  the  Spanish  language.  This  I  shall 
translate  into  English  for  the  benefit  of  your  world, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  words  and  phrases 
here  and  there,  which  will  be  found  starred  and 
interpreted  in  footnotes. 

As  you  are  not  expected  to  acquire  the  Spanish 
language  by  reading  this  book,  I  will  not  call  at- 
tention to  any  peculiarity  of  idiom  which  may  ap- 
pear, and  even  the  delicate  use  of  the  pronoun 
thou,  with  its  varied  forms,  betokening  familiarity 
or  affection,  has  been  superseded  in  the  following 
pages  by  the  stolid  and  inexpressive  you. 

J.  P.  D. 

Scranton,  Pa.,  August  21,  1896 


CONTENTS 

PART  PAGE 

I.  Casa  Barreda 9 

II.  Americanos  of  Saltillo 101 

III.  Homing  Treasures 197 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Court  of  Madero  Institute Frontispiece 


Corridor  of  Belen  Cemetery  in  Guadalajara 
"  The  open  car  bound  for  the  Baths 


ara  -j 


9 


"  In  any  other  garb  than  that  of  priest" 43 

'"''Little  donkeys  bearing  bundles  of  corn"  -1 
"At  this  hour  the  streets  were  crowded''''   J 

"  '  The  gem  of  a  church"1  " 148 

The  cathedral  of  Saltillo -\ 

A  street  of  balconies  in  Guadalajara  \ I97 

The  water-carrier ) 

A  plantation  of  maguey  plants 257 

"  The  flower-filled  court" 313 


PART  I 

CASA  BARREDA 


Had  I  but  plenty  of  money,  money  enough  and  to  spare, 
The    house   for    me,    no  doubt,   were    a    house    in   the  city 

square ; 
Ah,  such  a  life,  such   a   life,  as  one   leads  at  the  window 

there ! 

— Robert  ^Browning 


THE  early  morning  freshness  had  left  the  city 
streets  and  gardens  by  eleven  o'clock  of  St. 
Joseph's  Day  in  the  year  18 — .  An  intense  white 
heat  glowed  over  pavements  and  flower  beds,  and 
the  air  was  strangely  still  for  a  March  day.  The 
bells  in  the  church  towers  were  holding  their 
tongues  at  last,  after  hours  of  jangling  between 
earth  and  sky,  and  the  throngs  of  men,  women, 
and  children  were  lessening  in  the  streets.  Most 
of  the  religious  devotees  of  Guadalajara  had  at- 
tended the  earlier  services  of  the  day,  and  many 
had  returned  to  their  homes  on  housekeeping  cares 
intent.  One  church,  however,  still  retained  its  con- 
gregation, for  after  high  mass  had  been  observed, 
the  worshipers  had  waited  for  the  sermon. 

Father  Justo  Prieto,  a  young  priest  lately  re- 
turned to  Mexico  from  a  Spanish  college,  slipped 
quietly  from  the  vestry  behind  the  altar  and 
mounted  the  steps  of  the  pulpit.  As  he  did  so, 
the  palace  clock  struck  eleven.  The  pulpit  was  an 
elaborately  carved  and  gilded  box,  canopied  above 
by  a  shell-shaped  sounding-board,  and  suspended 
at  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  open  nave  above 
the  space  where  the  audience  sat  and  kneeled. 

9 


IO  THE   SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

There  was  no  sound  in  all  the  great  church 
except  the  shuffling  of  coming  and  departing  feet 
over  the  paved  floor  and  a  faint  murmur  of  praying 
voices  before  the  shrines.  Candles  burned  on  the 
high  altar  and  on  all  of  the  side  altars,  where  life- 
sized  figures  of  pink  and  white  wax  gazed  down. 

None  of  the  brightness  of  the  outside  world 
penetrated  the  church,  except  where  the  sun, 
piercing  the  high,  narrow  windows,  touched  the 
wreaths  of  incense  smoke  floating  here  and  there 
about  the  altar  rail,  or  threw  patches  of  sickly  light 
upon  the  stones  underfoot.  It  was  cool  here,  if 
somewhat  close  from  the  odor  of  incense  and  of 
musk,  and  tired  market  women  rested  on  the  pave- 
ment with  their  baskets  at  their  sides,  and  way- 
worn peons  kneeled  fervently  before  crucifix  and 
altar.  Most  of  the  women  present  wore  black, 
from  the  top  of  their  shawled  heads  to  the  tips  of 
their  little  high-heeled,  pointed  shoes.  Those  of 
the  better  class  wore  black  lace  scarfs  or  mantillas 
over  their  head  and  shoulders  and  black  gloves  on 
their  small  hands. 

The  priest  glanced  nervously  over  the  somber 
scene  a  few  feet  below  him,  and  then  abruptly 
began  a  eulogy  of  the  patron  saint  of  the  day, 
Joseph,  the  husband  of  Mary,  the  "  Mother  of 
God."  Fifteen  minutes  were  occupied  with  the 
delivery  of  the  sermon,  which  was  evidently  re- 
peated from  memory  and  with  rapid  utterance. 


CASA    BARREDA  I  I 

In  closing,  Father  Prieto  lowered  his  voice  and 
spoke  more  evenly,  and  as  if  more  sure  of  himself, 
to  this  effect : 

"  Therefore,  beloved,  you  need  have  no  doubts 
in  your  minds  about  the  power  of  our  blessed  St. 
Joseph  nor  of  his  sentiments  toward  yourselves. 
The  Fathers  of  the  church  do  not  hesitate  to  '  de- 
clare, following  the  sacred  text,  that  our  salvation 
is  in  his  hands,  because  he,  by  his  intercession,  can 
accomplish  what  Mary  can  by  privilege  and  Jesus 
by  his  own  will.'     Therefore,  '  Go  to  Joseph.'  "  l 

The  priest  fell  upon  his  knees  as  he  concluded, 
resting  his  forehead  upon  his  folded  arms,  while 
the  flowing  sleeves  of  his  black  gown  swept  the 
railing  of  the  pulpit.  The  murmuring  crowd  passed 
out  into  the  sunshine  and  the  church  grew  empty 
and  still. 

The  plaza  in  front  of  the  church  was  ablaze  with 
light  and  color.  The  crimson,  the  purple,  the 
scarlet,  and  the  green  of  the  flower  beds,  bordered 
by  the  silvery  foliage  of  the  "dusty  miller"  plants, 
dazzled  the  eye  seeking  the  ground  for  relief  from 
the  sunlight,  while  the  golden  gleam  of  oranges  in 
the  midst  of  dusty  leaves  overhead,  the  bright  blue 
sky  above,  and  over  all  the  glare  of  noonday,  had 
an   intolerable   effect  upon   eyes   adjusted    to    the 

1  Gen.  41  :  55.  This  application  of  Pharaoh's  words  to  the 
starving  Egyptians  in  search  of  corn  was  actually  made,  not  long 
since,  by  a  Roman  Catholic  writer  in  Spanish.      (See  Appendix  I.) 


12  THE    SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

dusky  shadows  of  the  interior  of  the  church.  The 
streams  of  men  and  women  pouring  through  the 
iron  gates  were  not  long  in  dispersing  themselves 
along  the  various  narrow  streets  diverging  from  the 
plaza.  North,  east,  south,  and  west  they  tripped 
or  shuffled,  in  high-heeled  shoes  or  flapping  sandals, 
hugging  the  walls  on  the  shady  side  of  the  street, 
and  having  very  little  to  say  to  one  another. 

Two  ladies  sauntered  more  leisurely  than  the 
rest  along  the  outer  sidewalk  bounding  the  plaza. 
Both  wore  scarfs  of  the  finest  black  lace,  draped 
gracefully  over  their  heads  and  falling  in  soft  folds 
about  their  shoulders.  The  elder's  dress  was  of 
black  silk,  and  in  her  black-gloved  hands  she  car- 
ried an  ivory-bound  missal,  while  a  costly  rosary 
wrapped  her  wrist  around  and  around.  Her  figure 
was  tall  and  spare,  and  the  dark  eyes  that  gleamed 
from  beneath  the  thick,  black  eyebrows  had  almost 
the  fire  of  youth  in  them.  Her  hair,  however, 
barely  concealed  by  the  mantilla,  was  iron-gray  in 
hue,  and  was  worn  brushed  back  from  her  high 
forehead  in  crisp,  wiry  waves.  The  Senora  Ale- 
jandra  Barreda  was  a  wealthy  lady  of  Guadalajara, 
and  to-day  being  the  "saint's  day"  of  her  deceased 
husband,  Don  Jose,  she  had  accompanied  her 
granddaughter  to  mass. 

During  the  sermon  following,  her  eagle  glance 
had  fallen  more  than  once  upon  the  upraised 
features  of  the  young  girl  seated  in  the  chair  at  her 


CASA    BARREDA  13 

side.  Now,  as  they  strolled  homeward  together, 
the  grandmother  remarked  in  her  full,  deep  tones  : 

"  You  heard  more  of  the  sermon  of  young  Prieto 
than  I  did,  Ninfa,  if  one  might  judge  by  your 
apparent  interest  in  it." 

Now  Ninfa  was  as  the  apple  of  this  stern  lady's 
eye,  and  well  she  knew  it.  A  saucy  toss  of  her 
small,  veiled  head  and  a  quick  shrug  of  her  shoul- 
ders was  her  sole  reply  to  this  remark. 

The  sefiora  smiled  grimly. 

"  Of  what  were  you  thinking  while  Justo  deliv- 
ered his  sermon  ?  A  beautiful  one,  I  am  sure. 
Speak,  Ninfa." 

"Of  how  the  birds  used  to  sing  in  the  beech 
tree  above  us,  when  Justo  and  I  played  at  pottery- 
making,"  Ninfa  replied  promptly.  "The  old  house 
at  El  Dorado  was  nicer  than  our  big  house  here, 
mama,  and  Justo  was  a  good  little  playfellow,  if  he 
did  call  me  'woman'  and  'stupid,'  sometimes. 
Suppose  he  was  the  son  of  an  Indian " 

"And  you  a  daughter  of  the  best  blood  of 
Spain,"  her  grandmother  interrupted  harshly. 
"You  are  a  wicked  girl,  Ninfa,  and  should  know 
better  than  to  let  your  mind  wander  back  to  for- 
gotten and  impossible  days,  while  a  good  young 
man  is  striving  to  feed  your  soul.  After  that 
speech  of  yours  I  must  again  warn  you  to  forget 
that  Justo  ever  entered  for  one  hour  into  our  life 
at  the  hacienda.     Priest  though  he  is,  he  will  always 


14  THE    SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

be  the  son  of  your  grandfather's  servant.  I  do  not 
think  he  will  ever  presume  upon  the  acquaintance 
of  former  years.  He  has  been  out  into  the  world, 
and  will  have  learned  that  the  Sefiorita  Barreda  and 
he  can  have  nothing  in  common." 

"  Impossible  days  !  "  the  girl  had  murmured  to 
herself,  during  the  first  part  of  the  lady's  speech. 
At  the  end  she  retorted  bravely :  "  Not  even  the 
memory  of  '  former  years,'  mama  f  Ah,"  with  a 
mischievous  gleam  in  her  brown  eyes,  "what  a  dear 
little  brown  face  he  had,  and  how  he  could  sing  ! 
Not  even  the  birds " 

"Silence,"  the  senora  commanded,  in  a  low 
voice  not  to  be  disobeyed.  They  had  reached  the 
other  end  of  the  plaza  now,  and  slipping  her  arm 
through  Ninfa's,  the  grandmother  stepped  more 
briskly  along  first  one  narrow  way,  then  another, 
toward  Casa  Barreda  in  the  rear  of  the  cathedral. 

The  city  home  of  the  Barredas  was  a  gloomy 
stone  building  occupying  a  corner  of  the  Calle  del 
Seminario  and  the  Calle  de  la  Merced.  Other 
houses  joined  their  walls  with  those  of  Casa  Bar- 
reda in  the  rear  and  on  the  left  hand,  while  its 
front  and  right-hand  side  overlooked  the  above- 
named  streets.  Iron-barred  windows  lighted  the 
ground  floor,  which  was  used  for  servants'  offices, 
stables,  and  carriage  house,  while  balconies  jutted 
from  the  windows  of  the  upper  story. 

When  the  owner  of  the  house,  with  Ninfa,  left 


CASA    BARREDA  I  5 

the  street,  they  passed  through  a  lofty  pillared 
doorway,  protruding  presumptuously  over  the  whole 
breadth  of  the  sidewalk,  and  entered  the  grand 
square  court  beyond.  This  court  was  bounded  on 
its  four  sides  by  the  house  itself,  was  paved  with 
huge  blocks  of  stone,  and  roofed  by  the  blue  canopy 
of  the  sky.  A  broad  stone  staircase  led  up  from 
the  court  to  the  arched  corridor  above,  from  which 
all  the  upper  rooms  of  the  house  were  entered. 

The  sun  stood  above  the  court  at  this  hour,  and 
the  stones  of  the  pavement  were  flooded  with  a 
white  light  which  made  the  shade  of  the  lower  cor- 
ridor an  agreeable  exchange  for  thin  shoe  soles  and 
aching  eyes. 

Ninfa  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  skirt  the  court 
in  search  of  shade,  as  her  grandmother  was  doing, 
but,  skimming  across  the  sunlit  space  and  running 
lightly  up  the  stairs,  was  soon  hidden  behind  the 
portiere  of  her  little  white  room. 

The  Senora  Barreda  paused  in  the  lower  corri- 
dor to  speak  with  Pedro,  the  porter,  about  some 
household  matter,  and  then  passed  majestically  up 
the  staircase.  She  likewise  retired  at  once  to  her 
own  room,  instead  of  lingering  in  the  pleasant 
corridor  where  easy-chairs  and  cushions  invited 
repose. 

Closing  behind  her  the  glass  d6ors  opening  upon 
the  corridor,  the  senora  crossed  the  red-tiled  floor 
and  prostrated  herself  before  a  painting  hung  upon 


1 6  the  senora's  granddaughters 

the  wall  opposite  the  canopied  bedstead.  The 
picture  represented  Joseph,  the  husband  of  Mary, 
as  an  old  man,  gray  of  hair  and  beard,  and  wrinkled 
of  feature.  A  blue  blanket  wrapped  his  shoulders, 
and  he  was  girded  at  the  waist  by  a  leather  strap. 
One  hand  grasped  a  staff,  and  the  other  held  the 
end  of  a  bit  of  cord,  presumably  the  halter  of  the 
ass,  bearing  Mary  and  the  young  child  out  of 
harm's  way  into  Egypt.  But  for  the  halo  around 
the  head,  and  the  suggestive  bit  of  rope,  the  half- 
length  painting  of  St.  Joseph  might  have  been  only 
the  portrait  of  some  old  man.  In  the  Sefiora  Bar- 
reda's  saint,  indeed,  the  two  ideas  had  been  blended. 
St.  Joseph's  head  and  hands  were  from  life,  the 
head  and  hands  of  her  husband,  Don  Jose,  late 
owner  of  the  hacienda  of  El  Dorado,  and  of  the 
house  in  Guadalajara. 

Don  Jose  had  been  many  years  older  than  his 
stately  Spanish  wife,  and  more  than  once  in  the  last 
years  of  his  life,  he  had  been  taken  for  the  senora's 
father.  Alejandra  had  loved  and  revered  him  with 
her  whole  heart,  in  whose  depths  Jose  was  canon- 
ized with  all  the  honors  due  the  patron  saint  of  the 
household. 

As  she  knelt  now  before  the  picture,  her  eyes 
were  raised  adoringly  toward  the  rugged  face  above 
her  own.  The  lace  scarf  still  hid  the  gray  waves 
of  her  hair,  and  in  the  faint  glow  cast  by  the  little 
lamp  swinging  below  the  picture  her  face  seemed 


CASA    BARREDA  I  7 

to  have  gained  something  of  its  youthful  beauty  of 
tint  and  outline. 

Her  hands  trembled  as  she  mechanically  passed 
her  rosary  beads  through  her  nervous  fingers. 
While  her  lips  murmured  a  word  of  prayer  to  the 
saint,  the  thoughts  of  her  heart  were  only  of  him 
who  had  been  the  real  and  tangible  saint  of  her 
life,  her  husband  Jose. 


II 


MEANWHILE  Ninfa  had  prostrated  herself 
before  a  very  different  image,  in  the  large 
oval  mirror  over  her  dressing  table.  The  table 
was  low  and,  with  arms  crossed  upon  its  white 
cover  and  head  thrown  backward,  the  girl  could 
see  the  pretty  reflection  of  herself  to  her  waist. 

"Now  I  look  just  as  I  did  in  the  church,"  she 
said  to  herself,  with  a  little  vain  toss  of  her  head 
and  a  twinkle  in  her  brown  eyes  neutralizing  the 
solemnity  that  strove  to  reign  there.  "  I  wonder 
if  he  recognized  me  in  the  midst  of  all  the  women 
and  girls.  I  sat  very  stiff  and  straight  and  never 
for  an  instant  took  my  eyes  from  him,  but  I  wanted 
to  laugh  when  I  remembered  the  time  I  threw  the 
lump  of  wet  clay  into  his  face.  He  called  me 
worse  names  than  ever  after  that,  but  I  cared 
nothing  for  them  then,  because  I  had  had  my 
revenge,  and  I  laughed  at  the  mud  on  his  nose." 

One  reminiscence  easily  led  to  another,  and  as 
long-continued  kneeling  always  made  Ninfa's  limbs 
ache,  whether  she  were  occupied  in  the  adoration 
of  herself  or  of  some  other  virgin  saint,  she  soon 
slipped  to  a  sitting  posture  on  the  floor. 

A  sad  and  puzzled  expression  succeeded  the 
18 


CASA    BARREDA  I 9 

merry  one  on  her  pretty,  dimpled  face.  Memories 
of  the  old,  young  life  at  the  hacienda  of  El  Dorado, 
where  they  had  lived  until  Don  Jose's  death  two 
years  before,  always  brought  to  her  bitter  thoughts 
mixed  with  the  sweet.  Justo,  the  peasant  play- 
mate of  the  broad  brow  and  the  cold  heart,  was 
forgotten  more  quickly  than  the  grandmother  could 
have  believed  possible,  and  the  straight  black  eye- 
brows were  knit  and  the  corners  of  the  childish 
mouth  drooped  over  the  never-ending  wonder  in 
the  girl's  mind. 

She  had  thrown  off  her  mantilla  on  forsaking  the 
mirror,  and  the  low  coil  of  smooth  black  hair  had 
become  loosened  and  drooped  about  her  ears. 

Ninfa  was  seventeen  years  old  and  beautiful, 
small  though  she  was,  and  dark.  The  merry  light 
of  her  eyes,  the  warm  color  in  her  cheeks,  and  the 
regular  delicacy  of  her  features  compensated  for 
her  lack  of  fairness.  The  sefiora,  her  grandmother, 
often  sighed,  even  when  her  heart  was  overflowing 
with  unuttered  tenderness  for  her  granddaughter, 
lamenting  the  fact  that  Ninfa  was  the  very  image  of 
her  mother,  with  not  a  hint  of  her  noble  father  in 
form  or  face.  The  lady  comforted  herself,  however, 
with  the  conviction  that  as  the  years  passed  swiftly 
onward,  Ninfa  was  developing  more  and  more  of 
her  father's  easy  lightness  of  disposition,  with  no 
taint  of  her  mother's  obstinate  and  serious  nature. 

In  as  few  words  as  possible,  the  following  shows 


20  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

the  reason  why,  in  the  sefiora's  estimation,  Ninfa 
was  as  blessed  in  her  father  as  cursed  in  her 
mother ;  and  all  the  while  the  daughter  of  the 
dead  Vicente  and  Manuela  sits  disconsolate  on  the 
red-tiled  floor  of  her  room  and  tries  to  solve  her 
puzzle. 

Without  troubling  with  the  how  and  the  why, 
the  proud  Spanish  beauty,  the  Sefiorita  Alejandra 
de  la  Palma,  married  the  middle-aged  hacendado, 
Don  Jose  Barreda  of  the  Mexican  State  of  Jalisco. 

The  rich  farms,  or  hacienda,  of  El  Dorado  seemed 
to  prosper  as  never  before  after  the  master's  return 
from  Mexico  City  with  his  young  bride.  The  an- 
cient mansion  in  the  city  was  rejuvenated  within 
and  without,  but  while  the  husband  lived,  Alejan- 
dra's  favorite  place  of  residence  had  been  the  great 
adobe  house  at  El  Dorado.  Here  the  only  child 
and  heir  was  born,  Vicente,  tall,  straight,  gray-eyed, 
fair,  with  hair  of  a  chestnut  brown. 

The  boy  had  been  his  mother's  idol,  as  are  many 
only  sons,  even  in  non-idolatrous  countries.  As  he 
outgrew  boyhood  and  became  a  man,  he  was  sent 
on  his  travels  through  the  Mexican  cities,  and  once 
even  as  far  as  Cordova  in  Spain,  the  home  of  his 
mother's  people.  Vicente's  own  traveling  coach 
rumbled  in  and  out  of  the  huge  corral  at  El  Do- 
rado, according  to  the  young  master's  will,  while 
the  parents  waited  patiently  at  home. 

For  shorter  journeys  to  neighboring  haciendas, 


CASA    BARREDA  2  1 

there  was  a  horse  always  ready  in  the  stables, 
awaiting  Vicente's  need.  The  cumbrous  Spanish 
saddle,  the  brightly  colored  blanket-roll,  the  silver 
spurs  and  silver-mounted  whip,  the  handsome 
riding  costume  of  a  Spanish  cavalier,  an  adoring 
groom,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  equipments  of  the 
young  knight  were  at  hand  at  a  moment's  notice. 

One  day  when  Vicente  had  been  over  the  moun- 
tains, toward  the  coast,  on  a  visit  to  the  hacienda  of 
Las  Rosas,  he  returned  with  a  strange  mixture  of 
love  and  dread  in  his  heart.  He  was  but  twenty 
years  old,  yet  he  brought  with  him  a  wife,  a  black- 
eyed  and  determined-looking  little  woman  of  six- 
teen years.  Manuelita  rode  her  pony  at  her  young 
husband's  side  in  happy  unconsciousness  of  the 
darkness  she  was  to  bring  to  the  household  at  El 
Dorado.  Never  once  during  the  rest  of  her  short 
life  did  she  pass  from  under  that  shadow  cloud. 

The  senora,  her  mother-in-law,  received  her  son's 
wife  with  gloomy  brow  and  set  lips.  That  her  boy, 
the  last  of  a  long  line  of  noble  ancestors,  should 
have  expected  her  to  receive  into  her  heart  a  peas- 
ant girl  of  Mexico  as  his  wife  and  her  daughter, 
nearly  divided  her  heart  in  two.  But  the  marriage 
was  already  an  accomplished  fact.  The  ardent 
courtship  of  a  few  weeks,  the  willing  consent  of 
Manuelita's  aging  parents,  the  prompt  offices  of  a 
bribed  priest,  had  done  what  the  senora  of  El  Do- 
rado could  not  undo. 


22  THE    SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

Don  Jose  had  not  been  so  relentless  as  Dona 
Alejandra,  when  once  the  bitter  pill  had  been  swal- 
lowed, but  he  could  do  little  to  soften  his  wife's 
angry  disappointment. 

Perhaps  all  might  yet  have  been  well,  if  Vicente 
had  lived  to  enjoy  the  twin  daughters  born  in  the 
old  home  a  little  more  than  a  year  after  the  mar- 
riage. The  coming  of  the  children  would  surely 
have  lifted  some  of  the  trouble  from  Vicente's 
affectionate  heart — for  the  mother  had  grown  stern 
and  forbidding  even  toward  her  beloved  son — but 
the  young  father,  barely  a  man  in  years,  was  sud- 
denly killed  on  the  day  after  the  birth  of  the  babies 
by  a  kick  from  a  wild  horse  in  the  corral.  It 
seemed  for  a  time  as  if  the  young  mother  would 
not  survive  the  terrible  blow.  With  a  little  one  on 
each  side  of  her,  jealously  guarding  them  from  the 
sefiora  even  in  the  midst  of  her  delirium,  she 
fought  her  way  back  to  life  and  lived  for  the  little 
Ninfa  and  Luz.1 

By  this  time  the  household  had  grown  accus- 
tomed to  the  "  interloper,"  who  had  lost  from  her 
cheeks  the  roses  brought  from  her  father's  ranch 
to  El  Dorado,  though  the  fire  still  burned  in  her 
eyes.  For  her  own  sake  she  longed  to  return  to 
the  bare  little  home  at  Las  Rosas,  carrying  nothing 
from  the  home  of  her  husband's  parents  but  dear 
memories  of  her  Vicente  and  the  two  plump  in- 

1  Luz,  pronounced  always  Luce,  and  meaning  light. 


CASA    BARREDA  23 

fants.  For  the  latters'  sake,  however,  she  kept  her 
longings  to  herself  and  forced  herself  to  remain  at 
El  Dorado.  The  grandmother  was  beginning  to 
bear  with  her  daughter-in-law's  presence  in  the 
home  for  the  sake  of  these  same  precious  babies, 
and  surely  it  would  be  for  the  good  of  the  twins, 
as  they  should  grow  toward  maidenhood,  to  be 
identified  with  their  wealthy  grandparents.  So 
Manuela  repressed  her  longings  and  her  helpless 
rebellion  and  nursed  her  children  till  they  grew  to 
be  lively,  chubby  little  dears  of  one  and  a  half 
years  old. 

If  the  Sefiora  Barreda's  daughter-in-law  had 
been  the  aristocratic,  languid  lady  of  the  city  whom 
the  sefiora  might  have  chosen  for  their  son's  wife, 
she  would  not  have  been  allowed  to  take  the  entire 
charge  of  the  two  restless  children.  As  it  was,  no 
peasant  nurse  could  have  been  more  able  to  pro- 
vide all  needful  care  for  them  than  was  the  little 
mother  herself,  and  it  is  useless  to  say  that  Manuela 
would  have  resented  another's  usurping  her  moth- 
erly place. 

When  Luz  and  Ninfa  were  about  eighteen 
months  old,  news  reached  Manuela  from  Las  Rosas 
that  her  mother  was  dying  and  her  father  in  sore 
need  of  his  daughter's  help  and  comfort.  There 
was  great  indignation,  however,  at  El  Dorado  when 
Manuela,  in  some  trepidation,  yet  with  a  firm  set 
of  her  square  little  chin,  announced  to  her  mother- 


24  THE    SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

in-law  that  she  with  the  babies  would  set  out  for 
Las  Rosas  on  the  very  next  day. 

"  Impossible  !  "  said  Alejandra  decidedly.  "  Go 
yourself,  of  course,  but  the  children  will  stay  with 
me." 

"I  cannot  leave  my  babies  behind,"  Manuela 
returned,  bracing  herself  for  a  struggle  with  her 
mother-in-law's  will.  "  Little  Luz  is  not  well  and 
cannot  get  the  rest  of  her  teeth  without  me." 

"  My  son's  children  are  my  children  as  well  as 
yours,  Manuela,"  the  other  retorted,  "  and  I  have 
the  right  to  forbid  your  taking  the  babies  on  so 
long  a  ride  across  the  mountains.  How  will  you 
manage  them  on  horseback,  and  how,"  growing 
excited  as  the  thought  occurred  to  her  mind,  "  do 
I  know  that  you  will  ever  bring  them  back  to 
me?" 

"  Now,  wife,  do  not  be  angry  with  Manuela," 
Don  Jose  had  interposed  in  his  kind  way.  "She 
has  a  right  to  wish  to  go  to  her  mother,  who  is 
dying,  and  naturally  she  wishes  to  carry  the  ninas.1 
Perhaps,  however,  she  will  agree  to  leave  one  with 
us.  Little  Ninfa  is  strong  and  hearty  and  already 
drinks  her  jar  of  goat's  milk  like  a  woman.  She 
might  stay  with  you  while  the  other  goes  with  the 
mother." 

The  kindly  old  man  was  not  without  his  cunning 
intention  in  this  proposal  as  Manuela  easily  divined. 


CASA    BARREDA  25 

Yet  she  was  grateful  to  him  for  the  interposition, 
realizing  the  bitterness  of  the  conflict  which  would 
have  continued  between  the  elder  lady  and  herself 
if  she  had  insisted  upon  carrying  off  both  little 
ones. 

So  it  was  arranged  that  Luz  should  go  and  Ninfa 
remain  behind,  and  the  compromise  was  not  effected 
without  some  secret  satisfaction  on  both  sides. 
Each  disputant  attempted  self-consolation  in  her 
own  way. 

"  Ninfa  will  be  a  little  hostage  for  the  return  of 
her  sister,"  Dona  Alejandra  thought  to  herself  when 
all  was  settled.  "  Manuela  will  never  return  with- 
out Luz,  and  she  will  just  as  certainly  not  remain 
away  from  Ninfa  longer  than  necessary.  So  I  shall 
have  both  my  children  again." 

"  If  I  cannot  have  both,  I  shall  at  least  carry  my 
husband's  face  with  me,"  Manuela  cried  softly  at 
bedtime,  bending  over  the  little  fair  head  of  Luz. 
"  I  could  never  have  left  my  Luz,  and  yet  I  love 
Ninfa  just  as  well.  May  the  Holy  Mother  watch 
over  my  little  innocent,"  she  prayed,  kissing  the 
curls  on  the  dark  head  lying  close  beside  the  other. 

Across  the  plains  and  over  the  mountains,  down 
toward  the  sea  in  the  west,  the  mother  and  child 
traveled,  escorted  by  the  faithful  peasant  who  had 
brought  the  news  of  her  mother's  illness. 

They  never  returned  to  El  Dorado,  for  in  one 
week  from  the  arrival  at  Las  Rosas,  Luz  and  Ninfa 


26  THE   SENORA's    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

were  motherless.  The  fever  was  waiting  for  Manu- 
ela  at  Las  Rosas,  and  she  succumbed  after  a  few 
days'  struggle.  This  was  before  the  thought  of  a 
railroad  from  the  east  to  the  west,  and  many  weeks 
passed  before  news  of  the  little  mother's  death 
reached  El  Dorado. 

Later  inquiries  brought  to  light  the  fact  that 
Manuela's  mother  had  died  before  her  daughter 
reached  home,  not  of  the  fever,  but  of  heart-rheu- 
matism. The  father  had  fallen  a  victim  to  the  fever 
which  carried  off  his  daughter,  and  the  baby  also 
had  sickened.  Such  had  been  the  horror  of  the 
scourge  in  the  ranch  village  that  the  fate  of  one 
baby  more  or  less  had  not  seemed  to  make  the 
impression  upon  the  poverty-stricken  villagers  that 
the  Senora  Barreda  thought  it  ought  to  have  made, 
when  that  one  was  the  baby  about  which  she  cared, 
the  daughter  of  her  only  son. 

The  senora  herself  had  gone  to  inquire  into  the 
reality  of  the  facts  that  had  been  reported  to  her 
concerning  Manuela's  end,  and  she  would  not  be 
satisfied  with  the  old  padre  s  first  communication. 
He  it  was  who  had  been  bribed  to  marry  this  lady's 
son  to  the  humble  Manuelita,  and  he  was  afraid  to 
speak  all  the  truth  for  fear  of  incurring  further 
angry  flashes  from  those  haughty,  black  eyes. 

At  last  he  was  forced  to  admit  that  the  little 
grave  to  which  he  had  led  Dona  Alejandra  might 
not  contain  the  body  of  Luz  Barreda,  after  all.     A 


CASA    BARREDA  2*] 

little  later,  disarmed  by  the  great  lady's  real  dis- 
tress, he  confided  to  her  that  Manuela's  baby,  more 
dead  than  alive,  had  been  taken  possession  of  by  a 
party  of  fugitives  who  were  about  to  depart  for  the 
north  of  Mexico.  One  woman,  whose  own  child 
had  died  of  the  fever,  had  wrapped  little  Luz  in 
her  rebozo  and  had  hurried  off  on  foot  to  join  the 
rest,  who  were  literally  shaking  off  the  dust  of  the 
village  from  their  sandaled  feet  and  speeding  away. 

The  woman's  name  was  Teresa  Flores  and  a 
good  woman  she  was,  if  desperately  poor,  and  the 
padre  had  been  glad  to  see  the  poor  little  creature 
in  motherly  arms  once  more.  He  had  not  opposed 
the  "abduction"  ;  no,  no,  why  should  he  have  done 
so  ?  The  child  would  have  been  dead  before  an- 
other night  had  fallen,  was  most  likely  dead  now, 
but  at  least  it  had  died  in  a  woman's  arms  and  not 
upon  the  damp  earth  floor  of  a  fever  hut. 

Since  that  day  nothing  more  had  been  heard  of 
the  woman  who  had  carried  off  one  of  the  little 
heiresses  of  the  Barreda  estate,  though  every  effort 
possible  at  that  time  was  made.  With  no  railroads, 
no  telegraph,  no  detective  system,  there  was  little 
hope  of  accomplishing  anything  in  the  way  of  a 
search.  Many  parties  had  left  the  village  during 
the  fever  scourge.  Many  women  had  lost  children, 
and  many  had  taken  their  neighbors'  little  ones,  left 
orphans  and  alone. 

Manuela's   name   was   never  spoken   in   the   El 


28  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

Dorado  home,  after  the  first  few  weeks  of  suspense 
regarding  the  fate  of  Luz,  and  Ninfa  knew  little  of 
her  mother  and  sister  beyond  the  fact  that  they  had 
perished  in  a  scourge  of  fever  while  visiting  the 
mother's  friends  in  a  distant  region  "  beyond  the 
mountains." 

The  puzzle  of  the  girl's  maturer  years  had  re- 
solved itself  into  this  question  :  "Why  do  I  hear  so 
much  of  the  beauty  and  accomplishments  of  my 
father  and  never  a  word  of  my  mother,  my  own 
mother,  who  was  different  from  my  grandmother, 
whom  I  call  mama  ?  Why  did  my  mother  leave 
me  and  take  Luz  on  that  dreadful  visit?  And 
why  will  mama  never  answer  my  questions  about 
them?" 


Ill 


THE  rest  of  that  nineteenth  day  of  March  passed 
slowly  in  the  quiet  home  of  the  Barredas.  In 
former  times,  on  this  her  husband's  birthday  as  well 
as  "saint's  day,"  the  sefiora  would  have  had  the 
house  filled  with  guests  and  music  and  all  good 
Mexican  cheer  in  honor  of  its  master.  Since  his 
death  two  quiet  anniversaries  of  the  feast  day  of 
San  Jose  had  passed,  varying  from  other  days  only 
in  the  longer  staying  at  church  in  the  forenoon, 
and  in  the  private  devotions  of  the  afternoon. 

Of  course  the  SeMora  Barreda  was  a  Romanist. 
There  was  every  reason  why  she  should  be  such, 
and  no  reason  why  she  should  have  been  anything 
else.  She  was  hardly  aware  of  the  existence  of  the 
two  or  three  small  Protestant  gatherings  held  in 
obscure  rooms  in  the  city.  That  one  of  these 
rather  mysterious  bodies  had  a  temporary  abiding- 
place  in  the  very  street  in  which  she  lived  was 
known  to  her,  it  is  true,  yet  it  was  a  matter  of  such 
small  concern  that  it  never  for  a  moment  occupied 
her  thoughts.  Her  confidence  in  the  Holy  Virgin, 
the  saints,  and  in  Mary's  Son,  was  fixed  and  con- 
soling. Most  of  the  afternoon  of  this  day  of  St. 
Joseph  was  spent  in  her  own  room,  in  a  low  chair 

29 


30  the  senora's  granddaughters 

drawn  close  before  her  saint's  picture.  Through 
the  long,  bright  hours  she  sat,  holding  in  her  hand 
a  very  small  parchment-covered  book,  yellowed 
with  age  and  worn  with  use. 

Poor  Ninfa  always  dreaded  these  afternoons, 
which  fortunately  for  her  came  but  once  a  year. 
They  were  even  worse  than  the  anniversaries  of  her 
grandfather's  death,  for  on  those  occasions,  besides 
the  attendance  upon  special  mass  for  the  departed 
soul,  there  was  always  the  afternoon  drive  to  Belen, 
the  city  cemetery,  where  Don  Jose  was  interred. 
There  were  wreaths  of  fresh  flowers  to  be  added  to 
those  of  black  and  white  beads,  perpetually  adorn- 
ing the  cherished  tomb.  Moreover,  the  dust  was 
to  be  carefully  brushed,  with  tear-wetted  handker- 
chief, from  the  little  crucifix  of  wood,  suspended 
upon  the  marble  tablet  marking  Don  Jose's  resting- 
place.  Naturally,  these  expeditions  afforded  more 
of  subdued  enjoyment  to  the  granddaughter  than 
to  the  widow,  for  variety  of  any  kind  was  welcomed 
by  Ninfa,  in  her  quiet  life. 

Now  while  the  senora  sat  reading  and  musing 
over  her  little  yellowed  volume,  Ninfa  was  lolling 
in  a  bored  fashion  on  the  lounge  in  the  corridor, 
talking  idly  to  the  great,  green  parrot  in  his  cage, 
close  at  hand,  or  gazing  vacantly  past  the  scalloped 
edges  of  the  awning  into  the  square  of  blue  sky 
roofing  the  court.  The  servants  were  out  for  their 
holiday-making,  all  except  Pedro,  who  was  drowsing 


CASA    BARREDA  31 

on  the  stone  bench  in  the  hallway  below,  and  all 
the  house  was  quiet 

On  other  afternoons  there  was  her  lovely  drawn- 
work  on  linen  to  occupy  and  amuse  her,  but  on 
this  day  there  must  be  no  work,  only  tiresome  idle- 
ness, and  the  work  frame  stood  in  its  corner  of  the 
corridor,  covered  with  a  clean  cloth  to  keep  the 
dust  from  the  linen.  On  looking  beneath  that 
cloth,  one  would  have  seen  stretched  upon  the 
light  frame,  on  its  four  slender  legs,  a  filmy,  cob- 
webby design  in  the  drawn  and  worked  threads  of 
a  bit  of  linen,  that  would  have  made  one's  eyes 
ache,  not  to  speak  of  the  envious  heart,  fain  to 
possess  the  dainty  square. 

Ninfa's  young  eyes  were  not  conscious  of  need- 
ingNhe  rest  accorded  by  St.  Joseph,  and  she  re- 
belled at  the  delay  in  completing  her  task.  The 
linen  square  was  intended  to  be  an  offering  for  the 
high  altar  of  the  church  of  San  Jose,  a  very  un- 
worthy bit  of  handiwork,  from  her  unworthy  little 
hands,  upon  which  the  holy  pyx1  was  to  rest. 

Thinking  of  her  work,  which  should  have  been  fin- 
ished long  ago,  to  grace  the  altar  on  this,  her  grand- 
father's feast  day,  she  was  reminded  of  the  wondrous 
body  of  the  Lord,  so  miraculously  enclosed  in  the 
golden  pyx,  and  so  jealously  guarded  from  insult 
and  from  waste.      Her  eyes  grew  large  and  won- 

1  A  costly  box,  usually  made  cross-shaped,  containing  the  wafer 
or  "host"  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 


32 

dering,  as  she  lay  looking  up  into  the  empty  space 
beyond  the  roof,  remembering  a  tale  once  told  to 
her  by  the  woman  who  had  nursed  her  day  and 
night  after  her  mother  had  gone  away  to  Las  Rosas. 

The  tale  of  old  Guadalupe  ran  thus  :  A  great 
sinner  died,  steeped  in  guilt.  He  had  received  the 
sacraments,  yet  unworthily,  and  for  this  his  soul  had 
gone  down  to  hell  to  keep  company  with  many 
others  who  had  confessed  and  communed,  receiv- 
ing holy  unction,  yet  all  unworthily,  and  who  for 
this  were  still  in  that  abode  of  misery.  The  holy 
angels  came  and  took  from  the  sinner  the  sacred 
host  which  he  still  retained  in  his  mouth,  and  bore 
it  away  to  the  cell  of  a  saintly  recluse,  who  was  in 
her  accustomed  attitude  of  prayer.  By  and  by  a 
nun  entered  the  cell  and  found  the  servant  of  God 
unconscious,  in  a  profound  trance,  and  before  her  a 
beautiful  little  ark  containing  the  small  bit  of  the 
host.  When  the  virtuous  recluse  came  to  herself, 
the  nun  asked  her  why  she  had  brought  the  most 
holy  sacrament  to  her  cell.  "The  angels  took  it," 
she  replied,  "  from  the  mouth  of  a  bad  man,  who 
had  received  it  with  an  evil  heart,  whose  soul  yet 
remains  in  hell.  His  Divine  Majesty  wishes  me  to 
receive  this  host  and  so  rescue  a  soul  from  purga- 
tory." * 

In  her  darkened  chamber  meanwhile  the  sefiora 
meditated  upon  such  consoling  exercises  and  pray- 
ers as  the  following,  from  the  little  book : 


CASA    BARREDA  33 

To  those  who  are  careful  about  being  diligent  to 
gain  indulgences  I  recommend  two  things.  One, 
that  from  now  on  they  be  more  careful.  The  other, 
that  they  try  to  dedicate  themselves  to  the  holy 
souls  in  purgatory.  Pity  their  necessity,  which  is 
extreme,  for  they  can  do  nothing  to  help  them- 
selves. Give  alms  for  them,  which  is  most  accept- 
able to  God.  Thou  wilt  say  :  "I  have  no  money." 
I  say  to  thee  :  "  Hast  thou  a  rosary?  "  Thou  wilt 
reply:  "Yes."  Then  take  it  in  thy  hands,  and  if 
thou  dost  use  it  entire,  thou  wilt  minister  to  all  the 
necessities  of  one  of  those  souls.  If  thou  prayest 
only  a  part,  thou  canst  thereby  relieve  one  or  many 
needs,  and  perhaps  release  them  from  purgatory.  .  . 
Perhaps  the  husband,  the  wife,  the  father,  the 
mother,  the  friend  is  in  purgatory,  and  from  their 
torments  beseech  spiritual  alms.  .  .  The  least  pain 
of  purgatory  is  more  frightful  than  the  greatest  tor- 
ments of  this  world,  if  we  may  believe  St.  Augus- 
tine and  St.  Thomas.  Pity,  therefore,  those  who 
are  there.  Take  thy  rosary  and  pray  often.  .  .  Do 
not  be  so  sure  that  thou  wilt  go  from  thy  bed 
straight  to  heaven ;  because  I  can  tell  thee  that  of 
the  many  souls  St.  Theresa  saw  leave  this  world  in 
grace,  but  three  went  to  glory  without  going  first 
to  purgatory.  Know,  then,  what  will  happen  to 
thee  if  thou  goest  to  purgatory.  What  ?  Listen  : 
"With  the  measure  with  which  thou  metest  to 
others,  it  shall  be  measured  to  thee,"  says  Christ, 
our  Lord.  And  it  is  as  if  he  had  said,  As  thou 
doest  for  thy  neighbors,  so  will  others  do  for  thee. 
Forget  them,  do  not  aid  them  ;  those  who  remain 
here  will  so  do  with  thee.     Commend  them  to  God, 

c 


34  THE   SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

pray  with  the  rosary,  using  mercy  for  those  in  pur- 
gatory ;  those  who  survive  thee  will  do  the  same 
for  thee.  .  .  It  is  well  so  to  act,  because  the  most 
holy  Virgin  is  of  assistance  in  the  terrible  hour  and 
last  struggle  of  death.  .  .  The  venerable  Sor  Maria 
de  Jesus  .  .  .  was  most  devoted  to  the  holy  rosary. 
She  found  herself  in  the  agonies  of  death,  and  with 
tears,  cried  :  "  Where  art  thou,  Lady,  my  mother? 
Where  art  thou?  Seven  times  each  day  have  I 
told  my  rosary,  and  now  thou  leavest  me,  having 
promised  me  thy  assistance  in  my  death.  Sefiora, 
I  can  do  no  more."  She  crossed  her  hands  upon 
her  breast,  and  fell.  The  nuns  around  her  thought 
that  she  had  fainted  from  her  importunities,  but  it 
was  not  so.     She  had  entered  into  a  trance. 

In  it  she  saw  the  heavenly  Queen  with  her  divine 
Son  in  her  arms.  The  boy  had  a  golden  rosary  in 
one  hand,  and  in  the  other  a  lily.  The  most  holy 
Virgin  said :  "  My  Son,  this  soul  has  been  so  de- 
voted to  my  rosary,  have  some  pity  upon  her."  He 
replied  :  "  Keep  the  lily  for  me,  my  mother,  while 
I  put  this  rosary  around  my  spouse's  neck." 

Then  the  boy  said  to  the  sick  woman  :  "Thou  art 
called  Maria  de  Jesus ;  I  am  called  Jesus  de  Maria. 
Take  this  rosary,  but  it  must  encircle  thy  throat  as 
well  as  mine." 

They  embraced,  and  the  divine  mother  hung  the 
rosary  about  their  necks,  causing  in  the  soul  of  the 
Sor  Maria  the  joy  that  may  be  well  understood. 

She  came  to  herself,  and  with  great  joy  said  : 
"My  sisters,  God  be  with  you  ;  I  have  obtained  my 
desire.  Devote  yourselves  to  the  holy  rosary  and 
in  heaven  we  shall  see  each  other  again." 


CASA    BARREDA  35 

Then  she  died,  and  in  the  embrace  of  her  loved 
One  ascended  to  heaven. 

From  time  to  time  the  afflicted  lady  dropped 
upon  her  knees,  and  "  telling  her  beads,"  earnestly 
offered  prayer,  as  set  down  in  the  little  book  de- 
voted to  the  Madonna  of  the  Rosary.  Toward  the 
last  came  this  prayer  : 

Mother  of  God,  and  most  disconsolate  Virgin, 
humbly  I  offer  this  part  of  the  rosary  of  mysterious 
grief;  I  beseech  thee  to  gain  from  the  Son,  through 
his  passion  and  death,  the  exaltation  of  the  Catholic 
faith,  the  conversion  of  the  unbelieving  and  of  sin- 
ners, peace  among  Christians,  aid  for  the  souls  in 
purgatory,  sorrow  for  sin,  and  confession,  in  order 
that  the  fruit  of  the  passion  and  death  of  thy  Son 
may  avail.     Amen. 

When  the  sefiora  and  Ninfa  met  at  dinner  at 
eight  o'clock  that  evening,  there  was  a  shade  of 
exhaustion  over  the  grandmother's  high-bred  face, 
but  she  was  carefully  and  elegantly  dressed,  as  was 
her  invariable  habit  for  dinner.  The  substantial 
meal  over,  they  left  the  dining  room  and  went  to- 
gether along  the  dimly-lighted  corridor  to  the  sa/a, 
or  drawing  room. 

This  room  was  long  and  lofty,  having  great  win- 
dows opening  from  ceiling  to  floor  and  leading  out 
upon  iron  balconies.  The  floor  was  paved  with 
large,  shining  tiles,  square  in  shape,  and  colored  a 
deep  red.     There  were  costly  rugs  laid  over  the 


36  THE  senora's  granddaughters 

tiles,  and  rich  curtains  of  lace  and  damask  draped 
the  windows.  Rows  of  chairs  were  ranged  against 
the  walls  up  and  down  the  room  ;  at  one  end  a 
sofa,  the  seat  of  honor,  covered  with  crimson  velvet, 
was  flanked  by  two  large  armchairs  to  match. 
These  chairs  faced  each  other,  and  little  velvet  foot- 
stools rested  invitingly  in  front  of  each,  on  the  soft 
rug.  At  the  other  end  of  the  room  an  inlaid  table 
of  fine  woods,  with  slender,  bulging  legs,  supported 
a  statuette  of  alabaster,  representing  "  Our  Lady 
of  the  Rosary"  bearing  the  child  Jesus  in  her 
arms.  The  table,  chair  backs,  and  sofa  cushions 
were  covered  with  linen  squares  and  oblongs,  orna- 
mented with  intricate  drawn-work  and  embroidery. 
The  walls,  frescoed  in  cream  color  and  chocolate 
tints,  were  hung  with  quaint  old  paintings,  with 
here  and  there  an  odd  little  discolored  engraving 
of  some  Spanish  town  or  Moorish  castle. 

It  was  a  cool  and  pleasant  room  on  a  warm  and 
windy  night  in  March.  A  few  candles  burned  on 
their  brackets  above  the  sofa  at  one  end  of  the 
room,  while  a  tall  lamp  with  its  ground-glass  shade 
stood  beside  the  image  on  the  table  at  the  other 
end  and  threw  a  soft,  white  light  over  the  marble 
faces.  From  the  streets  below  the  busy  evening 
bustle  seemed  only  a  pleasing  murmur  as  it  pene- 
trated the  partly  opened  casements  of  the  windows. 
An  occasional  rattle  of  wheels  was  the  loudest  of 
the  sounds  that  entered  the  sa/a,  but  there  was  a 


CASA    BARREDA  37 

continual  soft  shuffle  of  sandals  over  the  cobble- 
stones, for  the  whole  sandaled  world  seemed  to  be 
abroad.      Now  and   then   the   piercing  voice  of  a 
woman  shouted  her  wares  in  the  prolonged,  tune 
ful  cry  : 

"  Helotes  calientes  !  "  1 

Or,  the  dulce  man  extolled  the  toothsomeness  of 
his  dainties,  sugared  and  crisp  with  nuts.  The 
moon  sailed  quietly  overhead,  and  the  tiled  dome 
of  the  cathedral  raised  itself  whitely  from  the  dark 
mass  of  the  rest  of  the  building. 

Ninfa  dropped  upon  a  footstool  at  her  grand- 
mother's feet  and  rested  her  head  against  her  knee. 
The  girl's  spirits,  usually  gay  and  irrepressible,  had 
been  more  than  usually  depressed  by  the  long  and 
lonely  afternoon  hours,  following  upon  the  unusual 
excitement  of  the  morning.  She  heaved  a  great 
sigh,  and  then,  raising  her  head,  looked  into  her 
grandmother's  face  and  laughed. 

"  I  feel  like  a  little,  little  girl  to-night,  mama 
mia  ;  please  tell  me  a  story." 

The  sefiora  smoothed  the  pretty,  dark  hair  from 
Ninfa' s  forehead  and  gently  touched  her  rounded 
cheeks  and  small  ears,  smiling  faintly  as  she  did  so. 

"What  shall  I  tell  you,  little  -one?"  was  the 
reply. 

A  bold  thought  struck  Ninfa.     The  grandmoth- 
er's mood  was  tender  to-night.     She  had  just  dined 
1  Hot  corn  ! 


38  THE  senora's  granddaughters 

particularly  well,  after  the  fasting  and  the  medita- 
tions of  the  day.  The  whole  world,  besides  them- 
selves, was  abroad  in  the  gay  plazas,  so  that  there 
would  be  no  interruptions  possible.  She  would 
ask  for  the  story  of — well,  at  least  of  her  hermanita, 
the  little  sister,  Luz,  whom  she  had  -  been  missing 
all  the  afternoon  in  her  heart. 

"  Mama,  tell  me  about  my  hermanita.  There  is 
no  story  I  would  so  much  like  to  hear." 

Before  she  spoke,  Ninfa  knew  just  how  the  cloud 
would  come  and  darken  her  grandmother's  face  at 
the  mention  of  the  little  sister's  name.  But  she 
had  been  very  careful  not  to  speak  of  her  mother, 
having  learned  that  the  sefiora  would  never  open 
her  lips  when  questioned  upon  this  subject.  Long 
ago  and  many  times  Ninfa  had  heard  how  the  baby 
Luz  had  been  the  exact  image  of  her  tall,  beautiful 
papa,  who  was  little  more  than  a  boy  when  he  was 
killed ;  how  prettily  the  little  one  and  she  herself 
had  played  together  for  eighteen  short  months ;  and 
how  all  had  ended  so  suddenly.  To-night  she 
hoped  to  hear  more  than  this.  Her  hope  was  not 
fulfilled. 

The  cloud  came,  the  eyes  looking  into  her  own 
narrowed  and  darkened,  the  hands  caressing  her 
head  were  withdrawn,  and  the  Sefiora  Barreda  sat 
stiffly  upright  in  the  arm-chair  with  her  face  set 
toward  the  statue  standing  in  the  white  light  across 
the    room.     After   a    moment's    silence,   the    lady 


CASA    BARREDA  39 

cleared  her  throat  and  again  bent  over  Ninfa,  who 
had  slightly  drawn  away  from  the  maternal  knee 
and  now  sat  listless  and  silent. 

"Certainly  I  will  tell  you  a  story,  my  soul,"  the 
grandmother  said  cheerily,  dismissing  the  cloud  by 
an  effort.  "  I  will  tell  you  how  the  Christ  blessed 
the  olive  tree." 

There  was  no  allusion  made  to  Ninfa's  particular 
request  and  the  young  girl  did  not  dare  to  press 
her  point.  With  another  sigh  she  yielded,  as  all 
past  time  had  taught  her  to  yield,  to  her  grand- 
mother's will,  and  restoring  her  elbow  to  its  for- 
mer place,  she  listened  for  the  first  words  to  fall 
from  the  lips  which  for  sixteen  long  years  had 
readily  shaped  themselves  to  story-telling  for 
Ninfa's  sake. 

But  Ninfa  was  not  to  learn  on  this  evening  how 
the  olive  tree  was  blessed.  A  brisk  knock  on  the 
street  door  below  roused  old  Pedro  from  his  early 
slumbers  on  the  bench  and  arrested  the  words  on 
the  sefiora's  lips.  Nothing  more  was  heard  for  a 
few  seconds,  while  those  in  the  drawing  room  lis- 
tened for  what  was  to  follow.  Evening  visitors 
were  no  rarity,  except  on  this  evening  of  the  year 
when  Pedro  for  two  years  past,  according  to  orders, 
had  denied  his  mistress  to  all  callers.  Something 
told  the  elder  lady  that  this  visitor  would  not  be 
denied,  even  by  Pedro,  and  the  tinkle  of  the  bell  at 
the  iron  gate  of  the  upper  corridor  soon  confirmed 


4-0  THE    SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

her  suspicion.  A  servant  hurried  to  the  gate,  un- 
locked it,  and  admitted  a  man  wearing  the  broad 
hat  and  black  gown  of  a  priest. 

"The  senora  is  in  the  sala,  senor,"  Guadalupe 
said  respectfully. 


IV 


THE  cook  had  retired  on  admitting  the  priest, 
considering  her  duty  done,  and  Don  Justo 
was  left  to  find  the  way  for  himself  under  the  arches 
of  the  corridor  to  the  door  of  the  drawing  room. 
But  he  seemed  to  have  no  difficulty  in  doing  so, 
and  his  quick  steps  echoed  firmly  over  the  tiles, 
pausing  for  an  instant  as  he  hung  his  hat  upon  one 
of  the  branching  stag  antlers  suspended  beneath 
the  corridor  lamp.  When  he  presented  himself  at 
the  open  door  he  was  met  by  the  Sefiora  Barreda's 
commanding  figure,  drawn  to  its  full  height,  and 
extending  a  gracious  hand  of  welcome. 

"I  knew  your  step,  you  see,  Justo,"  she  said 
pleasantly.  "  Come  in,  and  tell  me  about  your 
travels.  Yes,  this  is  the  little  Ninfa  ;  you  remem- 
ber my  baby  granddaughter  ?  Ninfa,  can  you  have 
forgotten  the  corral  overseer  of  your  grandfather  ? 
This  is  his  son,  whom  I  have  educated  in  Madrid. 
He  is  a  full-ordered  priest  now.  Is  it  not  so,  Justo 
mio  ?  " 

The  priest  bowed  gravely  as  he  touched  for  a 
moment  the  small  brown  hand  extended  to  him 
from  behind  the  grandmother.  He  had  kissed  the 
strong  hand  of  his  patroness.     This  other  little  hand 

41 


42  THE   SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

was  not  to  be  kissed,  of  course.  A  merry  twinkle 
shone  in  Ninfa's  eyes  as  she  raised  them  for  a 
moment  to  sweep  her  old  playmate's  countenance. 
Gleam  answered  gleam,  and  Ninfa  turned  away  to 
hide  her  smiling  lips  as  the  sefiora  motioned  Justo 
to  a  seat  in  the  velvet  chair  opposite  her  own. 

His  face  had  not  departed  from  its  pale  gravity 
and  the  gleam  of  his  eye  had  been  but  as  a  light- 
ning flash,  unseen  by  the  sefiora  as  she  had  turned 
to  reseat  herself.  Instead  of  accepting  the  lady's 
invitation,  Justo  crossed  to  the  side  of  the  room 
and  lifting  one  of  the  cane-seated  chairs  standing 
primly  against  the  walls,  returned  with  it  to  the 
sefiora's  neighborhood,  and  placing  it  just  beyond 
the  edge  of  the  flowered  rug,  sat  down  upon  it  and 
waited  for  her  to  speak  again.  In  the  moment  of 
silence  that  followed  this  action  of  the  priest,  the 
three  persons  present  were  thinking  very  busily. 

"Proud  !"  thought  the  lady  of  the  house.  "A 
good  sign.  My  training  is  working  well.  As  a 
priest  and  preacher  he  wrould  always  have  been 
welcomed  at  my  house.  As  such  he  might  have 
occupied  the  sofa  or  reception  chair.  He  chooses 
to  come  in  the  shape  of  an  acquaintance  of  the  old 
days,  and  he  does  well  to  act  in  accordance  with 
his  true  position  as  pensioner  of  mine.  Let  him 
abide  by  his  choice." 

"  As  cold  and  proud  as  ever,"  was  another 
thought  flashed    across    the    moment    of  stillness. 


'•  In  any  other  garb  than  that  of  priest 
Page  43. 


CASA    BARREDA  43 

"  I  will  not  offend  her  who  has  made  me  what  I 
am.  But  why  should  she  fear  for  Ninfa  ?  A  baby 
indeed !  I  can  forget,  if  the  sefiora  wishes  me  to 
do  so.  Yet,  what  is  there  to  be  forgotten  ?  I  am 
not  a  man  to  remember  girls'  eyes.  I  should  like 
to  tell  the  sefiora  that  she  need  not  fear  to  speak 
of  me  to  Ninfa  as  the  old  playmate  of  the  little 
one's  childhood.      I  am  a  priest  and  besides " 

"It  has  not  changed  at  all,  the  funny,  ugly  face  !" 
thought  Ninfa,  as  she  slipped  past  the  red  window 
hangings  and  stepped  out  upon  the  balcony  behind 
her  grandmother's  chair.  "  But  why  is  he  losing 
all  his  front  hair?  and  what  a  great  square  chin  he 
has  !  If  he  had  not  been  a  priest  he  would  have 
been  married  long  ago,  I  suppose.  Poor  fellow,  I 
am  sorry  he  cannot  marry,  because  he  might  have 
found  somebody  to  love  his  long,  pale  face,  who 
would  never  have  thrown  mud  at  his  eyes." 

Now,  Justo  Prieto  was  not  an  ugly  man,  though 
Ninfa  in  her  heart-wholeness  and  girlish  fanciful- 
ness  could  see  nothing  to  admire  in  her  old  friend. 
Perhaps  in  any  other  garb  than  that  of  a  priest, 
Justo  would  have  been  "ugly,"  but  the  long,  severe 
gown,  with  its  broad  sash  and  short  shoulder  cape, 
was  well  suited  to  his  erect  figure,  and  the  severe 
simplicity  of  the  white  collar  below  the  square  chin 
gave  just  the  relief  needed  by  his  face. 

He  sat  with  his  full  brow  and  earnest  eyes  turned 
toward  the  sefiora,  and  he  listened  to  her  remarks 


44  THE    SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

and  answered  her  questions  with  respectful  atten- 
tion. Scarcely  a  thought  of  his  followed  the  exit 
of  the  little  lady  who  had  disappeared  behind  the 
window  curtain,  for  the  priest  had  been  honest  in 
his  reflections  on  meeting  his  hostess,  and  was  in 
no  danger  of  considering  Ninfa  in  any  more  inter- 
esting light  than  that  shed  by  the  memory  of  boy- 
hood's days. 

Meanwhile,  Ninfa  soon  forgot  Don  Justo  in  her 
absorption  in  the  scene  in  the  street  below.  She 
had  worn  a  long  scarf  of  pink  and  white  gauze 
around  her  shoulders  while  sitting  inside,  and  now, 
with  the  night  air  about  her,  she  wrapped  it  around 
her  head  and  neck.  Her  evening  dress  of  thin 
black  lawn  was  close  about  her  throat,  but  the 
puffed  sleeves  left  her  arms  bare  from  the  elbows. 
Soft  and  dimpled  arms  they  were,  although  not  so 
white  as  the  little  sister's  would  have  been,  for  Luz 
was  a  huerita,  a  little  blonde  girl,  with  fair  skin  and 
gray-blue  eyes.  But  the  rich,  warm  blood  in 
Ninfa's  veins  glowed  through  the  tinted  skin  of 
arm  and  cheek,  until  there  was  not  the  slightest 
tinge  of  sallowness  in  their  clear  olive.  Her  French- 
heeled  slipper  of  bronze  kid  tapped  rhythmically 
upon  the  stone  slab  of  the  balcony  floor,  and  she 
hummed  the  air  played  at  that  moment  by  the  band 
in  the  Plaza  de  Armas,  one  block  away. 

Throngs  of  passers-by  still  filled  the  street,  elec- 
tric  lights   blazed   here   and  there,   and  the  night 


CASA    BARREDA  45 

seemed  very  gay  to  the  secluded  little  girl  high  up 
above  it  all.  The  sidewalks  on  both  sides  of  the 
way  were  almost  deserted  for  the  middle  of  the 
street,  because  of  the  encroachments  of  the  tower- 
ing cathedral  walls  on  one  hand,  and  the  jutting 
portico  of  the  Barreda  residence  on  the  other. 
There  lay  a  deep  shadow  in  the  angle  formed  by 
the  portico  and  the-  house  wall,  below  Ninfa's  bal- 
cony, and  as  the  girl  paused  in  her  low,  sweet  hum- 
ming of  the  music,  she  heard  a  slight  stir  there 
below,  as  of  a  foot  softly  scraped  over  the  stones, 
followed  by  a  smothered  cough.  She  glanced 
downward  in  the  direction  from  which  the  sounds 
seemed  to  come,  and  her  eyes  became  aware  of 
the  dim  outline  of  a  man's  figure,  with  face  upturned 
toward  the  balcony.  A  little  startled,  Ninfa  laid 
her  hand  over  her  quickened  heart  and  stepped 
back  from  the  railing.  An  instant  afterward,  how- 
ever, she  resumed  her  former  attitude  of  leaning 
over  the  railing  and,  as  if  carelessly,  glanced  again 
into  the  street. 

The  dark  corner  was  no  longer  occupied,  but 
across  the  street  she  saw  a  stationary  figure,  which 
had  certainly  not  been  there  a  moment  before, 
leaning  carelessly  against  the  blank  church  wall. 
The  young  man  had  quickly  crossed  the  narrow 
street  as  she  had  disappeared  for  that  shrinking 
instant,  and  now  as  she  again  leaned  out  into  the 
night,  he  recrossed  and  stood  directly  beneath  the 


46  the  senora's  granddaughters 

balcony,  with  his  head  thrown  back  against  the 
stone  pillar  of  the  portico.  Passers-by  might  have 
thought  him  a  student  of  the  stars,  showing  faintly 
under  the  light  of  the  moon,  but  the  stars  studied 
by  young  Anselmo  Cardenas  were  those  shining 
from  Ninfa' s  eyes,  and  such  coquettish  and  elusive 
stars  were  these  that,  after  sweeping  down  upon 
him  one  more  bright  ray,  they  speedily  retired 
from  view  and  left  him  in  a  starless  night  alone. 

For  Ninfa,  though  young,  was  a  discreet  damsel, 
and  knew  that  little  Mexican  girls  must  be  careful 
of  their  bright  eyes  when  grandmothers  are  not  at 
hand  to  spread  grandmotherly  wings  and  cluck 
alarm. 

She  returned  to  the  drawing  room  from  the 
balcony,  leaving  Anselmo  Cardenas  searching  in 
vain  for  one  more  glimpse  of  the  eyes  that  had 
already  dazzled  his  own  more  than  once  in  plaza 
and  church,  although  to-night  was  the  first  occasion 
upon  which  he  had  been  so  bold  as  to  attract  them 
to  himself 

The  priest  had  already  risen  to  depart  when  the 
window  curtains  parted,  admitting  Ninfa.  Though 
his  visit  had  been  short,  it  had  been  long  enough 
to  convince  his  hostess  of  two  things  :  first,  that 
the  young  Justo  of  to-day  fully  justified  the  esti- 
jnate  she  had  made  of  him  six  years  before,  and 
that  the  cool,  keen  intellect  of  the  man  was  only 
the  natural  development  of  the  boy's  quiet  intel- 


CASA    BARREDA  47 

ligence,  which  had  attracted  her  from  his  earliest 
years  ;  second,  that  she  need  have  no  apprehensions 
concerning  a  renewal  of  intimacy  between  Ninfa 
and  himself. 

The  man  before  her  seemed  wholly  devoted  to 
his  calling,  and  if  his  morning's  sermon  might  have 
shown  to  more  learned  critics  than  the  sefiora  his 
almost  pitiful  ignorance  of  the  chronology  of  bibli- 
cal history,  his  talk  to-night  upon  other  literary 
subjects,  of  Spanish  literature,  of  the  Latin  classics, 
and  of  modern  French,  quite  satisfied  his  hearer 
and  would  have  done  credit  to  many  an  older  man. 
He  had  evidently  made  the  most  of  his  time  while 
a  student,  and  he  meant  to  continue  his  studies, 
even  after  becoming  pastor  of  the  parish  church  at 
El  Dorado.  As  he  rose  to  leave,  he  was  telling 
Alejandra  of  the  bishop's  desire  that  he  should 
remain  for  some  weeks  in  Guadalajara  before  bury- 
ing himself  in  the  small  parish  of  his  choice,  and 
the  sefiora  was  surprised  to  feel  that  this  intelli- 
gence was  unexpectedly  welcome  to  her.  It  would 
be  a  comfort,  after  all,  to  have  this  self-contained 
young  fellow  to  rely  upon,,  for  there  were  many 
points  about  the  hacienda  just  now  concerning 
which  she  needed  the  wide-awake  advice  of  some 
one  devoted  to  her  interests,  as  this  young  man 
undoubtedly  ought  to  be. 

Therefore,  mutual  satisfaction  was  impressed 
upon   both  faces  as  Ninfa   stepped   toward   them. 


48  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

The  introduction  of  her  fervid  beauty  put  to  rout 
all  sober  calculations  at  once.  The  encounter  of 
bright  eyes  outside  had  acted  upon  her  brain  as  a 
sip  of  strong  wine  would  have  done,  and  she  did 
not  now  hide  behind  her  grandmother  when  for  the 
second  time  her  hand  was  outstretched  to  meet 
Justo's  in  farewell. 

"Are  you  going  away  so  soon,  Don  Justo?  "  she 
asked,  her  pleased  excitement  vibrating  in  her 
voice.  "  We  have  not  had  a  moment  to  talk  of 
the  good  old  days  when  we  worked  at  the  clay 
figures  ;  do  you  remember  ?  Mama  says  that 
those  were  '  impossible  days '  and  not  to  be  re- 
membered," she  went  on  recklessly;  "  but  how 
can  one  forget  them  on  seeing  you  again?" 

The  senora  stood  speechless  at  this  daring  diso- 
bedience of  her  granddaughter;  but  Justo  regarded 
Ninfa's  vehemence  in  something  of  its  true  light, 
that  of  a  spoiled  child,  having,  in  even  his  shrewd 
brain,  no  idea  of  the  occasion  of  the  " child's" 
sudden  cordiality.  He  looked  kindly  and  gravely 
into  her  flushed  face  and  dropped  the  little  hand 
which  she  had  offered  him. 

"  Good-night,  Senorita  Ninfa,"  he  said.  "As 
your  grandmother  has  said,  those  days  are  past  for 
you  and  for  me.  For  me,  because  I  am  a  man 
and  must  think  only  of  my  work.  For  you,  be- 
cause you  are  no  longer  a  little  girl  with  idle  fingers 
good  only  for  daubing  in  the  mud." 


CASA    BARREDA  49 

"And  as  you  are  a  priest,  you  think  you  must 
preach  me  a  sermon,"  Ninfa  retorted  with  a  saucy 
laugh.  "  I  see  you  have  not  yet  forgiven  me,  sefior 
priest ;  but  you  know  I  never  would  have  thrown 
the  clay  into  your  face  if  you  had  not  called  me 
'stupid.'  " 

Justo  flushed  and  turned  impatiently  from  Ninfa 
to  bid  the  sefiora  good-night.  He  was  to  go  on 
the  next  day  to  El  Dorado  for  a  week's  visit  only, 
and  the  seiiora  had  several  messages  for  him  to 
deliver  aft  the  hacienda.  No  more  notice  was  taken 
of  Ninfa,  who  speedily  subsided  from  her  high 
spirits  in  some  dread  of  the  consequences  of  her 
bold  speeches. 

"  Adios,  Justo.  Que  vaya  con  Dios,"  l  had  scarcely 
left  her  grandmother's  lips  before  that  lady  turned 
wearily  to  Ninfa  and  bade  her  go  instantly  to  bed. 

The  front  door  below  slammed  behind  the  de- 
parting priest  as  the  sefiora  herself  put  out  the 
candles,  after  closing  the  open  windows  of  the  sala. 

"The  child  is  naughty  and  willful  beyond  belief," 
she  said  to  herself,  as  she  paced  the  corridor  out- 
side, before  entering  her  own  bedroom  next  to 
Ninfa's.  "She  needs  the  companionship  of  other 
girls  older  and  steadier  than  herself.  But  whom 
shall  I  seek  as  intimates  for  my  darling?  If  Luz 
had  lived  !  Already  as  a  baby  she  was  different 
from  my  little  rattlebrain  here,  and  her  eyes  were 

1  "Farewell,  Justo.     Go  with  God." 
D 


50  THE   SENORA's    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

her  father's  eyes,  although  she  was  such  a  steady 
little  creature,  never  in  mischief,  never  in  a  tantrum, 
never  disobedient.  Well,  well,  the  will  of  God  be 
done.  I  can  say  nothing.  Long  ago  I  exhausted 
all  words.  She  is  with  God  now  and  the  saints, 
bless  her  !  For  how  could  such  a  child  have  lived 
to  grow  up  with  an  unknown  peasant  woman  for  a 
mother  and  a  hovel  for  a  home?  " 

Yet  had  Ninfa's  mother,  as  well  as  her  little 
sister's,  been  other  than  "an  unknown  peasant 
woman  "  ?  and  had  not  the  babies  been  as  sweet 
and  wholesome  little  ones  as  one  could  desire  or 
imagine  ? 

The  senora  did  not  stop  to  ask  herself  this  ques- 
tion, much  less  to  answer  it,  for  such  thoughts  as 
the  above  usually  drove  her  to  her  saint ;  and  fol- 
lowing the  priest's  advice  of  the  morning,  she  again 
went  to  Joseph  to  seek  much-needed  but  oft-denied 
consolation. 


DURING  the  days  that  followed  St.  Joseph's 
feast  day,  Ninfa's  fingers  were  busy  with  her 
drawn-work,  and  her  thoughts  were  occupied  by 
many  new  and  tender  imaginings.  For  hours  she 
sat  in  the  corridor,  weaving  the  fine  thread  in  and 
out  of  the  open  spaces  in  the  delicate  linen,  while 
in  her  brain  was  woven  a  maidenly  romance  of 
many  a  witching  tint.  At  last  the  work  was  done 
and  dispatched  by  Maria,  the  housemaid,  to  Padre 
Manuel,  who  should  see  that  it  found  its  rightful 
place  upon  the  high  altar  of  San  Jose. 

On  the  Sunday  following  the  completion  of  the 
work,  Ninfa  begged  that  she  might  attend  mass  at 
San  Jose,  with  Guadalupe,  instead  of  accompanying 
her  grandmother  to  the  cathedral  service,  as  was 
her  custom. 

That  the  girl  should  wish  to  see  the  dainty  cor- 
ners of  her  linen  square  spread  upon  the  velvet- 
covered  support  of  the  pyx  on  the  altar  was  a  reason 
good  enough  to  win  the  good  lady's  willing  consent 
to  Ninfa's  request.  Guadalupe  was  a  staid  and 
most  respectable  woman,  and  would  take  good  care 
of  the  pretty  creature  entrusted  to  her. 

Now  "playing  the  bear"  was  a  game  well  enough 

5i 


52  THE    SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

known  to  the  Sefiora  Barreda,  but  she  had  little 
idea  that  her  granddaughter,  at  the  tender  age  of 
seventeen,  was  already  beginning  to  take  part  in 
such  a  game.  Anselmo  Cardenas,  having  been 
encouraged  by  Ninfa' s  second  look  over  the  bal- 
cony railing,  had  not  hesitated  to  "play  the  bear" 
in  true  Mexican  fashion,  on  each  succeeding  even- 
ing thereafter.  Not  one  word  had  passed  between 
the  two  young  things,  however,  and  the  playing  at 
love,  if  love  it  could  be  called,  had  been  confined 
to  an  interchange  between  balcony  and  street  of 
soft  glances  and  demure  smiles,  under  the  shadow 
of  the  night's  friendly  wing.  It  had  been  easy  for 
Ninfa  to  find  an  excuse  to  step  outside  of  the  sala 
for  a  few  moments,  just  after  the  palace  and  cathe- 
dral bells  had  chimed  nine  o'clock  each  night,  and 
as  yet  Anselmo  had  never  failed  to  perform  his 
part  of  standing  in  the  shadow  below  at  the  same 
hour. 

On  the  Saturday  evening  before  this  Sunday, 
Ninfa  had  returned  to  her  grandmother's  side  from 
the  balcony  with  the  color  a  little  paled  in  her 
cheeks  and  with  many  an  extra  heart  beat.  The 
first  words  had  passed  an  instant  before,  between 
her  lover  and  herself. 

'  "To-morrow  morning,  at  San  Jose?"  had  risen 
softly  to  her  ear,  bent  low  over  the  railing. 

"Yes,"  had  fluttered  downward  from  her  own 
trembling  lips  in  reply. 


CASA    BARREDA  53 

Guadalupe  chatted  sociably  as  they  hurried  along 
the  streets,  in  the  bright  morning  sunshine.  March 
was  going  out  like  a  veritable  lion  of  tawny  hue 
and  vehement  strength.  At  certain  street  cross- 
ings it  was  next  to  impossible  to  continue  one's 
steps  until  some  huge,  stalking  whirlwind  had  hur- 
ried by.  Opaque  clouds  of  sand  rushed  up  one 
street  and  down  another,  pelting  faces  and  blinding 
eyes  with  the  stinging  particles  of  grit.  The  blue 
sky  was  overcast,  and  the  streets  were  filled  with  a 
sickly,  yellow  light  as  one  of  these  storm-gusts 
passed  over  the  plaza  of  San  Jose. 

Guadalupe  and  Ninfa  were  glad  to  take  refuge 
inside  of  the  church  at  last,  and  both  were  soon  on 
their  knees  near  the  altar  rail.  Ninfa  was  not  too 
busy  with  her  rosary  of  pearls  to  keep  a  corner  of 
one  eye  wide  open  to  all  new-comers  in  her  neigh- 
borhood. And  she  was  quite  satisfied,  by  and  by, 
with  the  sight  of  Anselmo,  kneeling  upon  his  white 
handkerchief,  spread  on  the  floor,  a  few  feet  re- 
moved from  her.  Mass  proceeded  and  ended,  and 
Guadalupe  led  her  charge  away,  without  a  sus- 
picion that  Ninfa  had  seen  an  acquaintance  among 
the  worshipers.  Perhaps  Ninfa  herself  would  have 
been  uncertain  of  the  identity  of  this  devout  young 
man  in  plain  black  clothes  with  the  shadowy 
presence  that  had  haunted  the  portico,  if  Anselmo, 
by  an  infinitesimal  lifting  of  the  eyebrows,  had  not 
apprised  her  of  his  recognition  of  herself. 


54  the  senora's  granddaughters 

Some  friend  claimed  the  young  man  upon  the 
church  steps,  so  he  was  not  allowed  to  follow  Ninfa 
and  her  companion  homeward,  as  had  been  his  in- 
tention. Ni,nfa  walked  at  Guadalupe's  side  as  on 
wings.  Her  innocent  heart  was  all  aglow  with 
pride  and  flattered  vanity.  Guadalupe  was  perhaps 
intent  upon  kitchen  affairs,  for  she  spoke  not  a 
word,  and  gave  Ninfa  time  for  collecting  her  wits 
before  reaching  home.  When  they  had  arrived 
within  two  squares  of  the  house,  Ninfa  stopped 
suddenly.  "  Ah,  Lupe  mia,  only  see  the  dust  com- 
ing toward  us.  Already  my  black  scarf  is  turned 
an  ugly  gray  with  the  miserable  sand,  and  my 
mouth  and  eyes  are  full.  You  may  go  on,  but  I 
shall  stop  here  and  wait  for  the  storm  to  pass." 

Guadalupe  shook  her  head  ;  the  vegetables  would 
be  spoiled,  the  broth  for  lunch  would  all  boil  away, 
already  she  was  late.  The  senorita  might  stop  for 
a  moment,  as  there  was  a  convenient  doorway  at 
hand,  and  they  were  so  near  home,  but  she  herself 
must  hasten,  if  the  dust  buried  her  a  foot  deep. 
Ninfa  laughed  and  pushed  the  woman  onward  by 
the  shoulders,  as  she  herself  stepped  aside  and  into 
a  friendly  open  doorway. 

On  came  the  whirlwind.  The  sunlight  disap- 
peared ;  the  dust-cloud  filled  all  the  street,  mount- 
ing high  above  the  housetops.  Stray  hats  flew 
along  at  its  feet,  and  hoarse  cries  sounded  in  the 
yellow  gloom. 


CASA    BARREDA  55 

Ninfa  gave  another  little  laugh  of  pleasure  at  her 
escape,  then  stopped  short  in  open-eyed  surprise. 
What  had  seemed  an  empty  hallway  from  the  side- 
walk, now  resolved  itself  into  a  dimly-lighted  room, 
containing  benches  and  a  chair.  Shawled  women 
of  the  poorest  class  filled  the  benches  and  were 
faced  by  a  fair-haired  little  woman  in  the  chair 
whom  Ninfa  recognized  instantly  as  a  foreigner. 

The  girl  shuddered.  Could  it  be  that  she  had 
entered  the  preaching  place  of  the  Americans  who, 
mingling  with  the  lowest  and  poorest  of  the  inhab- 
itants, abuse  the  Holy  Catholic  Church,  and  who 
teach  that  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary  was  not  the 
mother  of  the  Lord  Christ  ?  Perhaps  these  people 
would  seize  her  and  force  her  to  listen  to  their 
"doctrine"  !  She  was  timid  ;  what  might  she  not 
be  induced  to  promise  them  in  order  to  escape 
from  this  danger? 

The  murmur  of  voices  in  the  room  ceased  for  a 
moment,  as  Ninfa  stared  wildly  around,  too  startled 
to  think  of  running  out  into  the  street  and  so  saving 
herself.  The  lady  in  the  chair  turned  her  head 
toward  the  little  black-robed  figure  near  the  door- 
way and  smiled. 

"  Come  in  out  of  the  dust,  senorita,"  she  said 
pleasantly.  "We  shall  be  glad  for  you  to  wait  here 
until  it  passes." 

Ninfa  yielded  to  the  influence  of  the  quiet  voice 
and  no  longer  trembled.     All  of  the  women  but 


56  the  seno-ra's  granddaughters 

one  or  two  were  clean  and  neatly  dressed,  and  all 
looked  friendly  enough.  From  behind  a  canvas- 
covered  door  came  the  sound  of  men's  voices,  as  if 
in  earnest  conversation. 

"Will  you  not  sit  down  for  a  moment?"  the 
strange  lady  continued.  "  You  seem  quite  out  of 
breath,  and  no  wonder,  on  such  a  day  as  this.  We 
have  been  talking  about  an  interesting  subject,  my 
scholars  and  I,  and  had  almost  forgotten  the  dust 
and  heat  outside." 

"Are  you  a  teacher?"  Ninfa  asked  shyly,  still 
standing,  yet  taking  a  step  nearer  the  empty  bench 
in  front  of  the  teacher's  chair. 

The  lady  laughed  softly,  and  the  women  all 
smiled.  "You  think  me  very  small  for  a  teacher, 
no  doubt,"  the  former  answered  ;  "and  it  is  true 
that  I  am  learning  as  much  from  my  class  as  they 
are  learning  from  me." 

"No,  no,  senora!"  came  from  several  of  the 
women,  while  all  shook  their  heads  at  such  heresy. 

"We  have  just  come  to  a  difficult  point  in  our 
reading,"  the  teacher  continued,  "and  we  had 
stopped  to  talk  about  it  when  you  came  in,  se- 
norita.      Will  you  stay  and  listen?" 

"Oh  no,  I  cannot,  I  dare  not!"  Ninfa  whispered, 
looking  fearfully  over  her  shoulder. 

How  should  she  ever  dare  to  leave  that  doonvay 
in  the  broad  light  of  the  sun?  and  yet  she  must 
not  linger. 


CASA    BARREDA  57 

If  only  another  sand  storm  would  approach,  so 
that  she  might  slip  out  with  no  sharp  eyes  outside 
to  detect  her  exit ! 

11  Oh,  I  am  sorry,"  the  lady  said,  rising  from  her 
chair.  "  Perhaps,  though,  you  will  come  again, 
when  there  is  no  hurry  about  getting  away.  Be- 
sides, dear  child,"  she  added  in  a  whisper,  going 
very  near  to  Ninfa's  side,  "there  can  no  harm  come 
to  you  here.  I  love  girls,  and  wish  to  help  them 
always.  Do  not  forget  that,  and  that  I  am  always 
here  on  Sunday  mornings,  just  as  you  see  me  now." 

Ninfa  could  not  resist  the  sweetness  of  the  little 
teacher's  voice,  nor  her  gentle  dignity  of  manner. 

"  Perhaps  some  day  I  will  come  again,"  she  re- 
plied in  hesitating,  yet  almost  wistful,  tones. 

"Now  take  this  little  card  away  with  you,"  the 
teacher  said,  offering  one  from  her  book  as  she 
spoke.  "  It  has  the  words  of  this  morning's  text 
on  it,  and  I  would  like  you  to  read  them  many 
times.     Will  you,  for  my  sake?  "   she  urged. 

As  it  would  have  been  the  extreme  of  discourtesy 
to  refuse,  Ninfa  readily  gave  the  desired  promise. 

"Besides,"  the  lady  continued,  "these  words  are 
true  words.  Many  sayings  of  this  world  are  not 
true  sayings  ;  but  this  is  the  truth,  because  it  is  not 
a  saying  of  the  world,  but  of  one  of  God's  chosen 
apostles."  Then  with  a  friendly  nod  and  a  tender 
actios,  Ninfa  was  allowed  to  go  with  the  white  card 
tucked  away  in  the  bosom  of  her  lawn  frock. 


58  THE  senora's  granddaughters 

It  did  not  take  long  to  reach  her  grandmother's 
house,  but  this  Sunday  morning's  outing  was  not  to 
close  without  one  more  adventure  for  Ninfa.  A 
walk  of  two  squares  unaccompanied  by  a  chap- 
eron was  an  unusual  occurrence  in  her  life,  and  she 
was  about  to  enter  the  portico  in  great  haste,  when 
she  was  startled  by  the  sudden  gleam  of  something 
white,  deftly  tossed  upon  a  ledge  of  one  of  the  outer 
pillars.  At  the  same  moment  a  young  man  stepped 
past  her,  as  if  from  the  further  side  of  the  pillar, 
and  lifting  his  high  silk  hat  passed  on  up  the  street 
With  an  instinct  born  of  quickened  heartbeats  and 
low-drawn  sighs,  Ninfa  laid  her  hand  upon  the  bit 
of  white  paper,  within  easy  reach,  and  then  ran 
quickly  past  Pedro,  sound  asleep  at  this  hour,  and 
up  the  stairs  to  her  room. 

Here  her  grandmother  found  her,  ten  minutes 
later,  when  the  call  to  lunch  had  sounded  in  vain 
through  the  house.  The  sefiora  had  chosen  to  seek 
her  granddaughter  for  herself  and  had  refused 
Maria's  aid.  She  had  entered  noiselessly,  and  stood 
behind  Ninfa's  chair  before  the  child  realized  her 
presence. 

"And  who  is  he  who  dares  tell  my  granddaughter 
that  he  loves  her,  and  to  ask  if  his  love  is  returned  ?  " 
were  the  stern  words  that  first  startled  Ninfa  from 
her  reverie. 

There  lay  the  small  sheet  of  white,  perfumed 
paper  on  the  table,  in  full  sight,  not  only  of  Ninfa's 


CASA    BARREDA  59 

adoring  eyes,  but  also  of  the  grandmother's,  which 
could  not  have  been  thought  to  seem  adoring  of 
anybody  or  anything  at  that  moment.  The  words 
written  in  a  round,  school-boyish  hand  were  plain 
enough  to  read  : 

To  Ninfa  :    I  love  you.      Is  my  love  returned  ? 

A.  C. 

Poor  little  words  to  cause  in  Ninfa's  heart  such 
a  tumult  of  joy,  in  the  senora's  such  a  pang  of 
anxious  solicitude. 

"  And  who  is  '  A.  C  pray  ?  "  the  lady  continued, 
with  a  hand  laid  heavily  on  Ninfa's  shoulder. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  the  poor  child  confessed  truly 
enough,  and  with  burning  cheeks. 

"Ah!"  was  the  grandmother's  gratified  excla- 
mation. Then  she  quietly  took  possession  of  the 
note,  and  bidding  Ninfa  lay  aside  her  mantilla  and 
come  to  the  dining  room,  she  sailed  out  of  the 
room  without  more  ado.  Afterward,  when  they 
were  again  alone,  before  retiring  for  the  afternoon 
siesta,  the  Senora  Barreda  easily  learned  from  Ninfa 
all  that  had  passed  between  Anselmo  Cardenas  and 
herself. 

"Are  you  sure  that  you  have  spoken  but  one 
word  to  the  young  man,  my  daughter  ?  "  the  grand- 
mother asked,  with  her  hand  upon  the  girl's  head 
as  it  rested  against  her  knee. 

"Quite  sure,"  Ninfa  murmured. 


60  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"  And  this  is  his  first  note  ?  " 

"Yes,  yes,  mama." 

"  That  is  well.  Now  let  me  tell  you,  my  child, 
that  this  is  all  at  an  end  for  the  present.  For  the 
present,  I  say,  because  one  does  not  know  what 
may  happen  when — well,  when  you  shall  have  be- 
come a  woman." 

"A  woman  I  am  now,  mama"  said  Ninfa  de- 
terminedly, u  but  you  and  Justo  Prieto  are  alike 
and  wish  to  keep  me  always  a  baby.      I  will  show 

him "  she    added    passionately,    but   was    not 

allowed  to  finish  her  words. 

"  You  will  show  him  nothing,  my  little  treasure," 
her  grandmother  said  soothingly.  "  Justo  is  a  good 
preacher  and  will  be  of  service  to  me  in  many  ways, 
but  to  you  he  will  be  nothing.  What  matters  it 
what  he  may  think  you,  whether  woman  or  babe  ? 
Come,  your  eyes  are  tired,  let  me  put  you  to  bed 
for  a  little  sleep.  I  will  sit  beside  you  and  stroke 
your  head  until  you  fall  asleep,  as  I  used  to  do 
when  you  were  small  and  had  waked  with  a  bad 
dream.  Now  you  may  dream  that  you  are  already 
a  grown  woman  with  all  the  world  at  your  feet. 
You  will  wake  and  be  glad  to  find  yourself  still  at 
the  old  house  at  home,  the  little  granddaughter  of 
Alejandra." 

Dona  Alejandra  had  evidently  talked  herself  into 
good  humor,  for  by  the  time  Ninfa  had  obediently 
laid  her  head  upon  the  pillow,  with  her  luxuriant 


CASA    BARREDA  6 I 

black  hair  streaming  across  her  grandmother's  lap, 
the  latter  was  smiling  contentedly. 

"So  far,  so  good,"  her  thoughts  ran,  as  she  sat 
threading  her  fingers  lightly  through  the  glossy 
waves  of  the  hair  she  loved.  "  Of  course  'A.  C  is 
the  advocate's  son,  Anselmo.  He  is  a  fine  youth 
and  will  be  a  noble  man  one  of  these  days.  Who 
would  have  thought  that  the  only  family  in  the 
city  with  whom  I  would  have  wished  to  ally  myself, 
had  already  established  a  sort  of  claim  upon  my 
little  Ninfa  ?  Pedro  was  right.  Anselmo  has  had 
a  reason  for  haunting  our  side  of  the  street,  though 
always  thinking  of  my  Ninfa  as  a  child  I  had  not 
dreamed  that  he  could  be  seeking  her." 

Of  course,  however,  this  was  not  at  all  the  way 
in  which  such  an  affair  should  be  managed,  and  the 
Sefiora  Barreda  was  delighted  with  the  easy  acqui- 
escence of  her  granddaughter  to  her  will.  Thus 
had  Vicente,  her  beloved  son,  always  yielded  to 
his  parents.  Never  had  there  been  a  conflict  be- 
tween them — save  one,  and  then  it  had  been  too 
late.  The  lady's  brows  contracted  as  she  thought 
of  the  bride  forced  by  this  same  son  upon  the  proud 
house  of  the  Barredas.  But  Ninfa  was  actually 
asleep  by  this  time,  and  did  not  miss  the  hands  that 
slipped  from  her  head  and  folded  themselves  tightly 
together. 

"  I  must  send  the  girl  away  for  a  time,"  was  the 
grandmother's  conclusion,  after  some  moments  of 


62  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

painful  thinking.  "  Not  to  El  Dorado,  however, 
but  farther  away,  even  if  it  breaks  my  heart  When 
Justo  comes  I  will  consult  with  him.  He  knows 
Mexico  better  than  I  do,  and  I  could  never  think 
of  far-away  Spain  for  her,  my  little  Ninfa." 


VI 


JUSTO   came   on   the   next   day,    much   to   the 
sefiora's  relief.     Ninfa  was  away  at  the  time  of 

his  visit,  attending  the  class  of  embroidery  held 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  at  the  girls'  school 
of  San  Diego.  Her  absence  was  an  added  relief, 
for  the  grandmother  had  not  been  able  to  entirely 
overlook  Ninfa' s  listlessness,  interrupted  by  fits  of 
genuine  ill-temper,  which  had  succeeded  the  expres- 
sion of  her  will  on  the  day  before. 

Justo  was  greeted,  therefore,  with  more  cordiality 
than  on  his  previous  visit.  However,  he  persisted 
in  ignoring,  as  before,  the  seat  which  would  have 
placed  him  upon  an  equality  with  the  lady  of  the 
house.  After  giving  an  account  of  many  things  as 
he  had  found  them  at  the  hacienda,  with  messages 
of  greeting  from  the  superintendent,  Don  Juan 
Tejada,  and  from  many  of  the  tenants,  who  were 
henceforth  to  be  Justo's  parishioners,  the  priest 
rose  to  go,  saying  with  polite  interest : 

"I  hope  the  Sefiorita  Ninfa  is  well." 

"Do  not  go  just  yet,  Justo,"  the  sefiora  said, 
almost  in  tones  of  entreaty.      "I  need  your  help." 

The  priest  resumed  his  seat  and  held  his  tongue 
until  the  lady  should  explain  herself. 

63 


64  THE    SENORA's    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"  Ninfa  is  quite  well,"  she  went  on.  "She  is  at 
school  at  this  hour.  It  is  of  her  I  wish  to  speak  to 
you." 

"Of  the  senorita — to  me?"  Justo  asked  with 
surprise.  "  I  cannot  imagine  how  I  can  help  you, 
Dona  Alexandra.  Yet  I  promise  to  do  all  in  my 
power  for  the  sake  of " 

"Yes,  yes,  I  know,"  the  other  interrupted  him  ; 
"  but  there  will  be  nothing  for  you  to  do.  I  wish 
your  advice  about  a  school  for  the  girl.  She  must 
go  to  some  good  school  where  there  will  be  other 
girls  of  her  own  station,  where  she  will  be  taught 
music  on  the  piano  and  many  other  things  of  which 
her  grandmother  is  ignorant.  Justo,  I  have  a  high 
ambition  for  Ninfa.  She  sings  well,  and  it  is  a  pity 
that  her  voice  has  never  been  trained.  Do  you 
know  of  such  a  school  as  I  desire  in  the  republic  ?  " 

Justo  concealed  his  amazement  at  what  seemed 
a  caprice  of  the  sefiora  and  bestirred  himself  to 
think  of  all  the  schools  of  Mexico  of  which  he  had 
any  knowledge.  At  length  he  started  perceptibly, 
but  instead  of  speaking  at  once,  he  lifted  his  eyes 
from  the  floor  and  looked  searchingly  into  the  lady's 
anxious  face. 

"Well,  what  is  it?"  she  asked  impatiently. 

"  I  wish  I  knew  your  real  reason  for  selecting  a 
new  school  for  the  senorita,"  was  the  unexpected 
reply,  in  the  priest's  slow  tones,  while  his  eyes  still 
examined  the  senora's  face. 


CASA    BARREDA  65 

"What  can  that  have  to  do  with  it?"  was  the 
second  impatient  question.  "  It  is  my  place  to 
know  the  motive,  yours  to  give  the  information  I 
need,  if  indeed  you  have  any  to  give." 

It  was  hard  for  the  senora  to  realize  that  Justo 
Prieto  was  no  longer  the  unattractive  little  boy  who 
had  been  in  her  way  at  El  Dorado,  and  who  had 
been  so  hard  to  suppress  and  so  clever  and  keen 
of  tongue. 

"  If  you  desire  a  cool  and  bracing  climate  for  the 
young  lady's  health,"  Justo  proceeded  quietly,  "  I 
would  recommend  that  of  Saltillo,  in  Coahuila.  It 
is  a  long  way  from  here,  perhaps  three  hundred 
leagues,  but  it  has  a  glorious  climate.  I  spent 
several  weeks  there  with  a  priest,  my  friend,  before 
coming  south  to  Guadalajara." 

"  I  was  asking  of  schools,  not  of  climates,  if  you 
will  remember.  Are  there  boarding  schools  in 
Saltillo?"  the  senora  asked. 

"Yes,  there  are  two  large  schools  for  girls  in 
Saltillo.  I  have  my  information  from  my  friend, 
Arango.  One  is  a  nun's  school.  The  monjas  are 
kind  and  gentle,  I  believe,  and  I  saw  the  long  line 
of  their  girls  walking  in  the  Alamada  each  week. 
The  sefiorita  would  learn  to  sing  the  hymns  of  the 
church,  without  doubt,  in  the  school  of  the  monjas, 
and  it  is  said  that  the  embroidery  and  other  needle- 
work taught  is  very  beautiful." 

"  My  Ninfa  could  teach  the  needle  to  any  one," 

E 


66  THE  senora's  granddaughters 

the  grandmother  said  proudly.  "I  should  never 
send  her  away  to  learn  embroidery,  nor  even  to 
sing  the  hymns  and  prayers  of  the  church.  Be- 
sides, in  the  present  state  of  things  the  foolish  child 
might  even  wish  to  become  a  nun  if  thrown  without 
restraint  among  them  ;  who  knows  ?  Yet  one  must 
risk  something.  You  spoke  of  two  schools,"  she 
continued,  not  noticing,  in  her  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject, that  her  last  words  had  suggested  more  than 
had  been  allowed  to  reach  the  surface  in  her  pre- 
vious conversation. 

"Yes,  there  is  another,"  was  the  reply;  "but  I 
do  not  think  that  you  will  care  to  hear  about  it,  as 
it  is  Protestant  and  conducted  by  Americans  from 
the  United  States  of  the  North."  x 

"  I  know  little  about  these  protestantes"  said 
Alejandra.  "  If  in  all  respects,  save  that  they  are 
protestantes,  their  school  seems  a  fit  one  for  Ninfa, 
there  is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  tell  me  all 
you  know  of  it." 

"  No  one  could  remain  in  Saltillo  for  many  days 
without  learning  much  of  the  school,  both  good 
and  evil,"  the  priest  went  on.  "But  I  should  hesi- 
tate long  before  recommending  the  place  to  you 
for  Ninfa  Barreda.  You  are  a  good  Romanist,  and 
so  doubtless  is  the  girl.      From  what  I  hear,  many 

1  The  Mexican  Republic  consists  of  the  United  States  of  Mexico, 
and  the  United  States  of  America  are  called  those  of  the  North, 
in  distinction. 


CASA    BARREDA  6j 

Romanist  girls  enter  and  afterward  depart  con- 
verted to  Protestantism.  Would  it  do  to  subject 
your  granddaughter  to  such  influence  ?  " 

"You  are  advising  me  as  a  priest,  not  as  a 
worldly  friend,  Justo,"  the  sefiora  said  with  a  return 
of  impatience.  "Tell  me  all  you  know  of  the 
school.  My  curiosity  is  aroused  by  your  hesita- 
tion." 

"  It  is  a  long  story,  and  in  some  respects  a  won- 
derful story,"  Justo  began.  "I  doubt  whether  you 
will  be  able  to  give  the  time  necessary  for  hearing 
it  all." 

"My  time  is  my  own,"  was  the  easy  reply,  "and 
I  have  all  there  is."  The  lady  settled  herself  com- 
fortably in  her  corner  of  the  sofa,  with  slippered 
feet  propped  upon  a  stool,  and  signed  to  the  priest 
to  begin. 

He  seemed  to  be  reluctant  to  undertake  the  re- 
cital, but  the  sefiora  was  inexorable. 

"  I  have  most  of  what  I  know  from  Arango,"  he 
said  at  length.  "Arango  has  been  in  Saltillo  for 
the  purpose  of  studying  English.  He  has  had  pri- 
vate lessons  with  one  of  the  teachers  of  Madero 
Institute,  the  school  of  which  we  are  speaking.  He 
has  asked  many  questions  and  has  learned  much 
about  the  school.  Besides,  he  was  at  the  Jesuit 
college  in  Saltillo  at  the  time  the  school  was  opened 
and  the  church  was  built." 

"A  church!"  the  lady  interrupted.      "You  do 


68  the  senora's  granddaughters 

not  mean  to  tell  me  there  is  actually  a  church  of 
the  gringos*  in  Mexico." 

The  priest  smiled. 

"  There  are  several,  and  that  of  the  bautistas  in 
Saltillo  is  a  beautiful  little  building,  with  a  history 
even  more  strange  than  that  of  the  school.  But  I 
was  to  tell  about  the  school.  When  the  Americans 
came  to  Saltillo  looking  for  a  place  in  which  to 
open  a  mission  school,  they  found  the  Montez 
property  for  sale.  It  is  a  huge  building,  occupying 
a  whole  block  to  itself,  with  four  streets  surrounding 
it  and  the  garden  belonging  to  it.  Of  course,  all 
was  done  that  could  be  done  to  prevent  the  sale. 
The  Montez  mother  and  seven  daughters  were 
threatened  with  excommunication  to  the  fifth  gen- 
eration and  the  final  loss  of  their  own  souls,  but  the 
americano  was  indefatigable,  and  actually  effected 
the  purchase  at  something  like  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars. You  see  there  was  a  heavy  debt  on  the  estate, 
and  the  Marqueta,  as  the  building  was  called,  had 
to  be  sold  to  the  highest  bidder.  I  could  not  learn 
what  really  followed  in  the  case  of  the  Montez 
family,  because  soon  after  the  purchase  by  the 
American  syndicate  things  advanced  with  such 
surprising  rapidity  that  the  priests  and  citizens 
could  do  little  but  stand  aside  and  gape  with 
astonishment.  In  some  mysterious  way,  General 
Madero,  of  Parras,  the  governor  of  the  State,  was 

1  Foreigners. 


CASA    BARREDA  69 

interested,  probably  by  the  wiles  of  the  americano 
chiefly  engaged  in  furthering  the  work,  and  was 
induced  to  endow  several  scholarships  in  the  name 
of  the  State,  for  the  benefit  of  poor  girls  desiring  an 
education. 

11  The  school  was  named  for  Madero  and  was  put 
on  a  substantial  footing,  all  papers  being  legally 
drawn  up  and  properly  recorded.  The  building 
was  thoroughly  improved  and  in  1884,  I  believe,  it 
was  opened  with  over  fifty  pupils.  Why,  it  was 
unheard  of!  Absurd  !  A  great  Protestant  board- 
ing school  opened  in  the  very  face  of  the  clergy, 
and  made  attractive  enough  to  invite  the  attention 
of  rich  parents  as  well  as  those  of  the  lower  class, 
who  usually  attend  the  gringos'  service.  One  witty 
Jesuit  called  it  the  '  Protestant  mushroom,'  and 
wagered  that  it  would  wither  and  collapse  as  quickly 
as  it  had  grown  to  maturity.  He  was  wrong,  how- 
ever, for  there  it  stands  to-day,  in  a  fresh  coat  of 
color,  and  filled  with  schoolgirls  from  many  States. 
The  director  of  the  school  is  a  man  from  the  United 
States  of  the  North,  and  most  of  the  teachers  are 
from  the  same  country.  The  pupils  are  taught 
French  and  Latin,  music  on  the  piano,  and  singing, 
besides  all  the  usual  branches  of  school  knowledge. 
And  all  is  done  in  the  most  improved  way,  for  the 
books  used  are  of  the  newest,  brought  from  New 
York,  and  the  teachers  are  all  highly  educated. 
Exercises  in  walking,  in  marching,  in  standing,  are 


JO  THE   SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

given  at  regular  times,  and  once  every  week  the 
whole  school  is  taken  out  to  walk,  with  the  teachers 
to  keep  order." 

"  In  imitation  of  the  nuns'  school,  I  suppose," 
the  sefiora  remarked  composedly. 

"To  the  contrary,  I  believe,"  the  priest  replied, 
with  his  slow  smile.  "The  nuns'  school  has  been 
established  only  since  the  Protestants  began  to  take 
hold." 

"But  how  can  the  Americans  teach  our  children, 
when  their  language  is  English  ?  I  cannot  under- 
stand," was  the  lady's  next  remark. 

"  Oh,  they  all  speak  Spanish.  It  is  wonderful 
how  soon  they  learn  to  do  so.  It  is  not  like  our 
Spanish,  of  course,  as  their  tongues  are  hung  differ- 
ently and  their  throats  are  stiff.  But  they  are  easily 
understood  after  one  gets  accustomed  to  their  way 
of  calling  words.  And  if  one  is  going  to  learn 
English,  there  is  no  better  way  to  do  so  than  to 
take  lessons  of  these  teachers.  Ah,  the  way  they 
can  talk  English  is  beautiful." 

"  Could  my  Ninfa  learn  English,  do  you  think, 
Justo?"  Alejandra  asked  eagerly. 

"Why  not?"  the  priest  replied,  with  a  shrug  of 
his  shoulders.  "Those  Americans  can  do  anything, 
I  believe.  They  can  certainly  teach  their  own  lan- 
guage to  even  the  most  stupid " 

"Ninfa  is  not  stupid!"  the  grandmother  inter- 
rupted him  to  say,  in  her  quick  way. 


CASA    BARREDA  7  I 

"To  the  most  stupid  pupils,"  the  priest  continued 
gravely  ;  "  therefore,  as  I  was  going  to  say,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  sefiorita,  being  unusually 
clever,  would  learn  English  perfectly,  and  very 
quickly,  if  placed  under  their  care." 

"Then  you  advise  it?  you  think  it  would  be  well 
for  me  to  send  my  child  to  Saltillo,  to  the  protes- 
tantes?"  the  lady  leaned  forward  eagerly  in  her 
chair  as  she  spoke,  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  Justo's 
lips.  She  had  almost  forgotten  the  reason  of  her 
desire  for  banishing  Ninfa  from  home  for  a  time, 
in  her  interest  in  these  wonderful  gringos  who  had 
dared  the  church  and  the  priests  and  had  estab- 
lished themselves  so  securely  on  foreign  soil.  Why 
had  they  come  ?  What  was  it  all  for  ?  For  mon- 
ey's sake  of  course.  But  there  was  no  time  now  to 
enter  on  that  question. 

"Do  you  wish  me  to  reply  as  priest  or  as  worldly 
friend?"  Justo  asked. 

"  First,  as  priest,"  the  lady  answered,  after  a 
thoughtful  pause. 

"Send  the  sefiorita  to  the  nuns  at  Saltillo,"  was 
the  advice  she  received. 

"Is  no  religion  taught  at  the  gringos'  school?" 
she  asked. 

"  Certainly.  The  Bible  is  read  freely,  and  I  be- 
lieve that  every  pupil  may  own  a  copy  if  she  wishes 
to  do  so.  There  are  religious  services  in  the  school- 
room every  morning,  and  on  Sundays  all  who  wish 


72  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

to  do  so  may  attend  preaching  and  school  in  the 
church." 

"  Then  there  is  no  compulsion  used  ?  I  would 
not  have  Ninfa's  pure  faith  harmed  by  their  blas- 
phemous teaching  of  religion,  for  all  the  English 
she  might  learn  in  a  dozen  years." 

"  I  have  heard  that  no  compulsion  is  used,  and 
that  usually  none  is  needed  for  inducing  the  pupils 
to  attend  their  services.  I  suppose  the  day  pupils 
go  to  their  homes  on  Sundays.  The  internets1 
usually  prefer  the  going  out  for  a  walk  to  church, 
through  the  streets  and  plaza,  to  being  shut  up  in- 
side of  the  building  until  the  rest  return.  Mind, 
my  dear  lady,  I  am  only  telling  you  what  I  have 
heard  of  this  school.  Of  myself,  I  know  nothing — 
or  very  little." 

"Then,  as  a  'worldly  friend,'  what  would  you 
advise  for  Ninfa?" 

"That,  if  you  are  careless  as  to  her  religious  sen- 
timents, you  will  send  her  to  the  Madero  Institute. 
A  year  there  will  make  a  thoughtful  woman  of  the 
thoughtless  child.  Understand,  however,  that  I 
think  it  would  be  a  very  dangerous  experiment, 
and  that  the  result  may  be  the  ruin  of  your  peace 
of  mind  forever.  And  again  I  say,  if  you  are 
merely  thinking  of  an  asylum  for  Ninfa  for  a  short 
time,  send  her  to  the  nuns.  She  will  be  safe  with 
them  and  well  cared  for." 

1  Boarding  pupils, 


CASA    BARREDA  73 

The  senora  sat  for  a  moment  after  the  priest's 
last  words  in  perplexed  silence.  Once  she  roused 
herself  to  ask  : 

"This  Aran  go,  of  whom  you  have  spoken,  is  he 
not  in  danger  from  the  protestantes  f '" 

"Arango  is  a  man,  and  well  fortified  by  the 
teachings  of  the  true  church.  He  can  take  care  of 
himself,"  was  the  reply. 

"So  is  Ninfa  well  grounded  in  the  catechism, 
and  in  all  that  pertains  to  a  young  girl's  knowledge 
of  religion,"  the  senora  said  thoughtfully.  "She  is 
faithful  too,  and  I  can  trust  her.  Therefore,"  with 
a  smile,  "  as  my  priest  and  my  worldly  friend  can- 
not agree  upon  this  matter,  I  will  take  the  only 
sure  way  of  solving  the  difficulty."  As  she  spoke 
she  rose  and,  lifting  a  pack  of  cards  from  a  little 
table,  handed  it  to  the  priest,  begging  him  to  select 
from  the  cards  the  ace  of  diamonds  and  the  ace  of 
spades.     This  he  did,  laying  the  rest  aside. 

Alejandra  crossed  the  room  and  knelt  before  the 
marble  image  of  Mary,  explaining  to  Justo  as  she 
did  so  that  he  must  shuffle  the  two  cards  from  one 
hand  to  the  other  and  that  after  commending  the 
issue  to  the  Holy  Virgin  she  would  choose  one  of  the 
cards,  the  ace  of  diamonds  representing  the  nuns' 
school,  the  other  the  school  of  the  protestantes. 

Perfect  stillness  filled  the  room  while  the  lady 
prayed  before  the  image  and  the  man  nervously 
fingered  the  scented  cards. 


74  THE    SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

At  first  Justo  had  taken  but  a  languid  interest  in 
Ninfa's  destination.  Being  of  an  analytical  turn  of 
mind,  it  had  pleased  him,  for  the  moment,  to  an- 
alyze the  details  of  the  two  opposing  plans  and  to 
present  them  to  his  patroness  in  their  respective 
lights  and  shades.  During  his  visit  to  Saltillo,  on 
the  way  home  from  New  York,  he  had  become  as 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  management  and 
scope  of  the  Protestant  college  as  it  was  possible 
for  an  outsider  to  become,  having  had,  as  he  had 
explained  to  the  sefiora,  exceptional  advantages  to 
this  end.  He  had  been  honest,  therefore,  in  his 
special  recommendations  regarding  this  as  well  as 
the  other  school. 

As  the  recollection  of  this  school  of  the  gringos 
had  suggested  itself  to  his  mind,  he  had  been 
startled,  as  was  natural,  and  his  surprise  had  grown 
as  he  had  detected  the  sefiora's  growing  disposition 
in  favor  of  the  Madero  Institute.  As  a  priest  he 
could  but  discountenance  this  favor.  As  a  personal 
matter,  he  did  not  care  one  whit  whether  Ninfa 
should  go  to  the  nuns  or  to  the  protestantes.  It 
seemed  to  him  that  this  child  was  of  undue  impor- 
tance in  this  small  world  to  which  he  was  again 
being  introduced  after  six  years  of  banishment,  the 
world  of  the  Sefiora  Barreda  and  himself. 

Yet  while  that  lady  kneeled  before  the  image  of 
Mary,  and  the  silence  became  so  deep  that  he  could 
hear  the  watch  ticking  in  his  breast  pocket,  a  new 


CASA    BARREDA  75 

thought  occurred  to  the  priest.  By  degrees  a 
bright  spot  began  to  glow  upon  each  dark  cheek 
and  his  hands  trembled. 

Justo  Prieto  was  ambitious.  His  admiration  for 
Dofia  Alexandra's  strength  of  will  was  great,  and  he 
recognized  in  her  firmness  of  character  something 
so  like  the  best  in  himself,  that  he  was  assured  of 
the  true  kinship  of  their  spirits,  whatever  the  differ- 
ence in  their  social  positions. 

The  weak  spot  in  the  sefiora' s  heart  was  un- 
doubtedly her  adoring  fondness  for  Ninfa.  The 
presence  of  this  foolish  girl  must  always  raise  a 
barrier  between  the  sefiora  and  himself,  serving  to 
recall  the  years  when  the  Indian  lad  had  been 
nothing  more  than  a  servant's  son.  He  would 
never  be  able  to  rise  to  the  position  of  eminence 
which  his  ambition  craved,  and  to  which  the  sefi- 
ora's partiality  and  influence  could  certainly  aid 
him,  if  this  giddy  girl  was  to  be  ever  at  hand  to 
remind  her  grandmother  and  himself  of  the  days 
of  mud  throwing  and  other  youthful  follies.  Who 
was  to  hinder  the  other  lady  from  viewing  him 
through  the  younger's  eyes?  He  had  seen  that 
Ninfa  had  not  been  in  the  least  impressed  by  his 
years  of  travel  abroad  and  his  dignity  of  priest. 

Now  that  there  was  a  prospect  of  her  absence 
for  a  year  from  Guadalajara,  to  what  pitch  of  favor 
with  the  Sefiora  Barreda  might  he  not  raise  him- 
self?    Already  he  had  been  keen  enough  to  see 


j6  THE  senora's  granddaughters 

that  she  might  easily  become  dependent  upon  him 
in  many  things.  In  fancy  he  almost  saw  himself 
taking  the  place,  not  of  the  beloved  Vicente  of 
course,  but  of  valued  confessor  and  friend.  Visions 
of  preferment  in  the  church,  of  the  canon's  robes, 
and  even  of  the  bishop's  mitre  dazzled  his  imagina- 
tion. Yet  Ninfa  would  return,  after  months  of 
absence,  perhaps  before  he  had  established  the 
coveted  ascendency  over  the  senora.  Suppose  she 
should  not  return  ;  suppose  that  she  should  be 
induced  at  the  nuns'  school  to  take  the  veil,  and 
perhaps    be    removed    to   Paris   or   to   Spain  ;    or, 

better   still,  suppose,   among   the  protestantes 

Horrible  heresy  !  He  would  not  consider  such  an 
idea  for  a  second.  Ninfa's  soul  would  be  forever 
lost  under  the  realization  of  such  a  supposition. 
Surely  the  devil  must  have  suggested  such  a  possi- 
bility to  his  mind.  He  sighed  deeply,  wearied  with 
the  tangle  of  motives  and  desires  possessing  him. 
Then  deliberately,  as  he  thought,  Justo  resigned 
himself  to  the  will  of  the  "Queen  of  Heaven."  His 
own  will  was  to  prove  stronger  than  his  renun- 
ciation. 

A  solemn  voice  broke  the  stillness  of  the  room. 

"  I  choose  the  card  in  your  right  hand,  Justo 
Prieto." 

The  ace  of  diamonds  showed  for  a  brief  second  in 
the  right  hand  of  the  padre.  He  caught  his  breath 
quickly,   slightly  shivered,   then    glanced  over  his 


CASA    BARREDA  J*] 

shoulder.  The  senora  was  still  upon  her  knees, 
with  her  brow  touching  the  table's  edge.  Like  a 
flash  the  cards  were  exchanged,  the  ace  of  spades 
now  lying  upturned  in  Justo's  right  hand,  while  the 
left,  clutching  the  ace  of  diamonds,  fell  limply  at 
his  side. 

" Which  is  it?"  Alexandra  asked  with  forced 
calmness. 

"Look,"  was  the  reply. 

"The  protestantes ! '"  Alejandra  cried,  with  a 
queer  mixture  of  pleasure  and  affright.  "  It  is 
Mary's  will.      So  be  it." 

"Amen  !"  ejaculated  the  priest  firmly,  with  up- 
lifted eyes. 

Yet  when  a  few  moments  later  on  the  stairs  he 
passed  Ninfa  with  the  maid,  Maria,  returning  from 
her  embroidery  lesson,  his  eyes  were  cast  down 
before  her  bright  and  searching  glance,  and  he 
merely  lifted  his  hat  to  her  in  salutation. 

"  Poor  Justo,"  Ninfa  whispered  in  confidence  to 
her  maid,  "  mama  has  been  scolding  him.  Did  you 
notice  the  red  spots  on  his  cheeks?  I  saw  him 
look  so  one  day  long  ago  ! " 


VII 


SAD  as  it  is  to  relate,  it  must  here  be  confessed 
that  the  seventeen-year-old  Ninfa  Barreda 
could  barely  read  a  page  of  any  book  without 
making  the  most  absurd  blunders  in  the  effort. 
There  had  been  little  in  her  rearing  to  stimulate 
a  love  for  reading,  as  books  were  rare  in  the  house, 
and  for  entertaining  stories  she  had  but  to  turn  to 
her  grandmother,  who  was  well  versed  in  the  leg- 
endary lore  of  Spain  and  Mexico.  Her  education 
at  the  hacie?ida  had  been  confined  to  a  mastery  of 
the  silabario,  or  syllable  book  of  spelling,  and  oft- 
repeated  perusals  of  a  small  book  on  etiquette.  In 
the  latter  she  was  instructed  not  to  rinse  out  her 
mouth  and  spit  the  water  upon  the  floor  at  meal 
times,  not  to  suck  the  bones  upon  her  plate,  and 
to  be  always  good-tempered  and  kind.  From  the 
time  when  her  small,  brown  fingers  first  learned  to 
hold  a  needle  she  had  been  taught  to  sew — not  to 
mend  the  rents  in  her  own  little  frocks,  nor  to  darn 
her  white  socks,  but  to  embroider  letters  on  bits  of 
cloth,  and  later  to  work  in  silks,  and  to  draw  the 
threads  from  linen  for  refilling  with  her  own  deli- 
cate stitches. 

When  she  had  removed  to  Guadalajara  with  her 
78 


CASA    BARREDA  79 

grandmother  and  old  Pedro,  the  porter,  the  lady 
had  been  so  lonely  in  the  great  house  that  she  had 
not  spared  Ninfa  to  attend  a  nuns'  day  school,  in 
order  to  complete  what  is  necessary  to  a  Mexican 
girl's  education.  It  had  been  only  at  the  girl's 
urgent  coaxing  that  consent  had  been  given  for 
her  to  attend  the  sewing  class  in  the  large  school 
of  San  Diego. 

Now  the  grandmother's  eyes  had  been  opened 
to  two  important  facts  by  the  reading  over  Ninfa' s 
shoulder  of  the  little  love  note  of  Anselmo  Car- 
denas. For  one  thing,  she  must  manage  to  divert 
Ninfa's  thoughts  from  Anselmo's  suit,  as  yet  un- 
warranted, without  too  much  discouraging  the  little 
one.  In  the  second  place,  something  must  be  done 
to  fit  her  granddaughter  to  be,  some  day,  if  all 
should  go  well,  the  daughter  of  the  advocate,  Car- 
denas, who  was  a  learned  man  himself.  Anselmo, 
senior,  would  think  twice  before  marrying  his  son, 
whom  he  had  educated  in  Paris  and  in  New  York, 
to  a  girl  with  the  brains  of  a  peasant,  even  though 
the  little  " peasant"  might  bring  as  her  dowry  lands 
worth  thousands  of  silver  dollars. 

While  Ninfa,  therefore,  should  be  at  a  finishing 
school  somewhere,  she,  the  grandmother,  would 
have  the  leisure  and  opportunity,  unvexed  by  the 
child's  altered  looks,  to  arrange  the  marriage  in  the 
only  approved  fashion  with  the  relatives  of  the 
lover. 


80  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

She  knew  that  the  advocate  was  a  man  of  ad- 
vanced and  liberal  opinions  concerning  religious 
matters,  and  that  his  daughter-in-law  would  be 
none  the  less  acceptable  to  him  for  having  been 
"  finished  "  at  a  Protestant  college,  if  that  college 
were  the  best  in  the  republic,  as  Justo  had  repre- 
sented it  to  be.  That  Anselmo's  mother  was  dead, 
and  the  youth  himself  most  likely  of  no  religious 
opinions  at  all,  made  future  operations  all  the  sim- 
pler in  prospect. 

Therefore  after  the  interview  with  Justo  on  Thurs- 
day afternoon,  there  was  left  only  to  inform  Ninfa 
of  the  plan  before  making  arrangements  by  post 
for  her  reception  at  the  Madero  Institute  in  Saltillo. 
Justo  had  told  her  that  the  new  session  of  the  school 
had  begun  in  February,  and  as  it  would  continue 
during  the  summer  months,  and  even  into  Novem- 
ber, there  were  no  reasons  why  Ninfa  should  not 
leave  home  and  enter  the  school  without  delay. 

Ninfa  received  the  news  of  the  change  to  be 
made  in  her  uneventful  life  as  gracefully  as  her 
grandmother  could  have  wished.  It  was  evident 
that  her  heart  was  not  inextricably  entangled  with 
the  affections  of  the  writer  of  her  first  love  letter, 
for  she  clapped  her  hands  softly  as  her  grandmother 
unfolded  her  plan,  and  even  had  the  naughtiness 
to  think  to  herself  at  the  end  : 

"  So  the  senorito  will  wait  beneath  the  balcony 
many  a  night  in  vain  for  Ninfa  ! " 


CASA    BARREDA  8  I 

Still  she  did  not  mean  to  be  so  cruel  as  to  leave 
the  city  without  a  word  of  warning  for  Anselmo  of 
the  change  to  come  over  the  course  of  their  "true 
love,"  and  she  immediately  began  to  set  her  wits 
at  work  to  invent  a  way  of  communicating  the 
news  to  him.  Her  grandmother,  however,  saved 
her  the  trouble  of  much  thinking  by  telling  her 
that  as  she  was  well  acquainted  with  Anselmo  Car- 
denas' father,  she  would,  if  she  should  think  best, 
inform  the  son  through  the  father  of  Ninfa's  re- 
moval for  a  year  from  her  own  home  to  the  clois- 
ters of  the  institute  in  Saltillo.  Meanwhile,  there 
must  be  no  haunting  of  balconies,  and  Ninfa 
must  never  again  walk  in  the  street  alone,  though 
mountains  of  sand  be  sifted  over  the  city  and  the 
dinners  of  all  Guadalajara  be  burned  to  a  crisp. 

While  a  long  and  elaborate  letter  from  the 
sefiora  found  its  way  to  the  director  of  the  Madero 
Institute,  and  a  speedy  and  satisfactory  reply  as  to 
terms  and  accommodations  traveled  back  to  Gua- 
dalajara, Ninfa  spent  a  rather  harassing  time.  It 
was  impossible  to  begin  upon  the  new  linen  square 
recently  set  in  her  embroidery  frame,  so  frame  and 
all  was  folded  up  to  be  packed  into  the  new  trunk, 
already  filling  with  necessary  articles  of  bed  linen 
and  of  clothing. 

After  the  director's  letter  had  been  received  and 
an  answer  had  been  sent,  signifying  a  certain  day 
in  April  as  the  time  of  Ninfa's  departure  for  Sal- 

F 


82  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

tillo,  an  afternoon  came  when  there  was  absolutely 
nothing  to  be  done.  The  hired  seamstress,  work- 
ing at  her  sewing  machine  in  the  corridor,  would 
not  allow  Ninfa  to  help  her  for  fear  of  being  de- 
layed by  the  little  fingers,  fit  only  for  the  intricacies 
of  fancy  wrork.  The  parrot  was  unusually  noisy 
and  made  her  head  ache  with  his  scolding  shrieks. 
The  grandmother  had  gone  out  with  Maria  to  visit 
the  shops  in  the  colonnade  surrounding  the.  plaza, 
and  had  declined  Ninfa's  attendance  because  of  the 
oppressive  heat  of  the  afternoon. 

Ninfa  walked  disconsolately  through  the  empty 
rooms,  pausing  at  each  of  the  drawing-room  win- 
dows, not  for  an  instant,  however,  dreaming  of 
entering  a  balcony  against  the  sefiora's  commands. 
Besides,  who  would  pace  the  white  glare  of  that 
street  at  such  an  hour?  Surely  no  one  who  car- 
ried an  ounce  of  brains  under  the  peak  of  his  som- 
brero of  dove-colored  felt  entwined  with  silver  cord. 

Sauntering  into  her  own  room,  Ninfa  suddenly 
decided  to  clear  out  the  little  wardrobe,  built  into 
the  wall,  where  the  dresses,  now  folded  in  the  trunk, 
had  hung.  On  the  floor  of  the  wardrobe  and 
tucked  away  upon  the  shelves  were  many  relics  of 
her  childhood  ;  queer  dolls  of  cloth  stuffed  with 
cotton,  little  jars  and  plates  and  cups  of  fancy  pot- 
tery, and  boxes  filled  with  scraps  of  silks  and 
velvets  and  ribbons.  With  a  strange  mixture  of 
pain  and  pleasure,  Ninfa  arranged  all  these  treas- 


CASA    BARREDA  83 

ures  in  compact  shape  and  covered  the  boxes 
securely  that  nothing  might  be  lost  during  the  long 
months  of  absence  from  the  dear  white  room. 

As  she  gathered  up  the  remnants  of  doll  finery 
strewn  about  the  floor,  Ninfa  spied  a  white  card 
half  hidden  under  one  of  the  shelves.  She  took  it 
carelessly  into  her  hands,  and  then,  struck  by  the 
beauty  of  a  wreath  of  forget-me-nots  painted  on  its 
white  surface,  tried  to  recall  where  she  had  seen 
such  a  card  before. 

"  I  will  copy  the  little  blue  flowers  on  a  hand- 
kerchief for  my  mama's  birthday,"  she  exclaimed 
aloud.  "They  are  prettier  than  anything  I  have, 
and  I  have  just  the  shade  of  silk  to  do  them  with. 
Of  course,  there  will  be  time  to  embroider  a  great 
deal  at  school,  and  there  will  be  many  holidays 
when  there  will  be  no  books  to  study.  Ay  de  mi" 
she  continued,  a  little  drearily,  "  I  know  I  shall  die 
if  I  have  to  study  many  books  ;  and  the  English — 
oh,  it  will  be  impossible  to  learn  it ! " 

She  stood  balancing  the  card  upon  her  fingers 
before  slipping  it  into  one  of  the  pockets  of  her 
trunk. 

"  I  remember  !  "  she  thought  suddenly,  clapping 
her  free  hand  to  her  forehead.  "The  gringa  gave 
me  the  card  on  the  day  Guadalupe  left  me  behind, 
when  I  went  into  the  little  dark  room.  I  have 
never  once  thought  of  it  since,  and  I  suppose  it  fell 
from  the  waist  of  my  dress  when  Maria  hung  it  in 


84  the  senora's  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

the  wardrobe.  Dear  me,  there  is  a  great  deal 
written  on  the  card,  but  I  think  the  sefiora  asked 
me  to  read  it.  I  know  she  said  something  about 
its  being  all  true  what  was  written  here." 

Within  the  forget-me-not  wreath  there  were 
printed  the  following  words  : 

Esto  es  bueno  y  agradable  delante  de  Dios  Sal- 
vador nuestro  : 

El  cual  quiere  que  todos  los  hombres  sean  salvos, 
y  que  vengan  al  conocimiento  de  la  verdad. 

Porque  hay  un  Dios,  y  asimismo  un  solo  mediador 
entre  Dios  y  los  hombres,  el  hombre  Cristo  Jesus  ; 

El  cual  se  did  a  si  mismo  en  precio  del  rescate  por 
todos  (i  Tim.  2  :  3-6). l 

Slowly  and  painfully  Ninfa  spelled  out  the  words. 
The  type  was  fine,  and  the  fanciful  quirks  and 
quirls  of  the  letters  puzzled  her.  It  had  not  been 
so  difficult  to  read  Anselmo's  note,  though  that  was 
written  and  these  words  were  printed.  Still,  after 
some  difficulty,  she  had  read  it  all,  and  more  than 
once,  but  she  could  not  understand  it.  Having 
nothing  better  to  do,  she  learned  the  whole  by 
heart,  as  memorizing  was  an  easy  task  for  her.  By 
and   by  certain   of  the  words   began   to  separate 

1  "  This  is  good  and  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God  our  Saviour  ; 
who  willeth  that  all  men  should  be  saved,  and  come  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth.  For  there  is  one  God,  one  mediator  also  be- 
tween God  and  men,  himself  man,  Christ  Jesus,  who  gave  himself 
a  ransom  for  all "  (1  Tim.  2  :  3-6). 


CASA    BARREDA  85 

themselves  from  the  whole  and  arrested  her  atten- 
tion. 

The  sun  sank  slowly  toward  the  mountains  in 
the  west  and  little  airs  began  to  stir  the  awnings  in 
the  corridor.  The  click  of  the  sewing-machine 
sounded  steadily,  and  the  parrot  having  sobered 
down  for  a  time,  the  pet  canaries  sang  shrilly  in 
their  cages  hung  over  the  seamstress'  head.  Ninfa 
was  now  sitting  at  her  ease  upon  a  yellow  goatskin 
spread  before  a  low  white  chair,  with  her  arms  flung 
across  the  cushion  of  the  chair.  Though  the  siesta 
hour  was  long  past,  she  had  not  yet  troubled  her- 
self to  dress  for  the  evening,  and  was  cool  and 
comfortable  in  an  airy  costume  of  white  muslin, 
flowing  from  the  shoulders  to  the  feet,  and  having 
wide,  loose  sleeves  drawn  up  and  tied  at  the  elbows 
with  pink  ribbons.  Her  stockingless  feet  were 
thrust  into  little  slippers  of  pink  morocco,  fancifully 
embroidered.  Her  loosened  hair  fell  in  heavy 
black  waves  far  below  her  waist ;  yet,  easy  as  were 
her  attitude  and  attire,  the  black  eyebrows  that 
matched  the  hair  were  puckered  and  the  red  lips 
screwed  up  into  a  tight  little  knot. 

The  words  said  that  according  to  God's  will  "  all 
men  should  be  saved."  And  why  not  the  women 
and  the  girls?  Did  not  she  know  that  the  mother 
of  God,  the  blessed  Mary,  was  ready  to  help  every- 
body, and  especially  to  save  women  ?  What  was 
this  doctrine  that  the  gringa  had  given  to  her  as 


86  THE  senora's  granddaughters 

the  "truth"?  She  knew  that  the  firotestantes  did 
not  like  Mary,  the  holy  Virgin  ;  was  it  because  she 
was  willing  to  save  young  girls  and  women  as  well 
as  los  hombreSy  the  men?  And  was  not  Mary  the 
"  Refuge  of  Sinners,"  the  "  Queen  of  the  Angels, 
of  the  Patriarchs,  of  the  Prophets,  of  the  Apostles, 
of  the  Martyrs,"  and  "the  blessed  Intercessor"  be- 
tween sinners  and  her  divine  Son?  How  was  it 
possible  then  that  there  could  be  but  "one  Media- 
tor," which  meant  the  same  as  "  Intercessor." 
There,  it  could  not  be  the  truth,  and  she  would 
forget  the  words.  Yet  she  must  keep  the  card  for 
the  sake  of  the  forget-me-nots,  and  perhaps  some 
day  she  would  become  very  wise,  and  if  she  should 
ever  again  see  the  senora  gringa,  she  might  have 
the  courage  to  tell  her  of  her  mistake.  So  the  card 
was  dropped  into  its  place  in  the  trunk,  and  suc- 
ceeding events  banished  for  a  time  from  Ninfa's 
mind  all  recollection  of  the  words  it  bore  within 
the  wreath. 

"Come,  sefiorita,"  said  the  voice  of  Maria  out- 
side the  door,  "the  senora  says  that  I  am  to  ac- 
company you  on  a  paseo1  to  Agua  Azul.  The 
afternoon  is  fine  and  you  have  been  in  the  house 
all  day." 

As  she  spoke,  the  maid  pushed  aside  the  portiere 
draping  Ninfa's  door,  and  the  next  quarter  of  an 
hour  was  occupied  in  the  arrayal    of   her   young 

1  Outing. 


CASA    BARREDA  87 

mistress  for  the  street-car  ride  out  of  the  city. 
Maria  sat  on  the  floor  and  put  on  Ninfa's  stockings 
and  bronze  boots  as  if  the  girl  were  still  an  infant, 
chattering  all  the  while  of  the  lovely  French  goods 
to  be  seen  in  the  shops.  Then,  with  wonderful 
quickness  and  skill,  the  black  hair  was  brushed 
and  plaited  in  two  long  braids,  tied  at  the  ends 
with  purple  ribbons. 

When  Maria  had  fastened  the  last  hook  of  the 
new  muslin  frock  of  black,  strewn  with  purple 
pansies,  Ninfa's  toilette  was  complete.  No  ;  one 
thing  was  lacking,  and  just  then  the  grandmother 
entered  the  room  to  supply  the  want.  In  one 
hand  she  carried  a  large  hat  of  white  straw,  cov- 
ered with  masses  of  nodding  pink  flowers  and  rib- 
bon bows  ;  in  the  other  a  new  rebozo  of  silk  gauze 
colored  in  delicate  purple  and  lilac  tints  mixed 
with  white. 

"  Madre  de  Dios  !  "  Ninfa  exclaimed  in  ecstatic 
surprise.  "  Ah,  mama,  dearest,  the  hat  cannot  be 
for  me!" 

"  For  whom  else  ?  "  the  sefiora  replied  proudly. 
"Do  you  like  it,  Ninfa?" 

The  elaborate  head-dress  quickly  passed  from 
the  grandmother's  hands  to  Ninfa's  and  thence  to 
Ninfa's  head,  and  for  reply  the  girl  made  a  low 
courtesy  to  the  sefiora  and  then  to  the  smiling  re- 
flection of  herself  in  the  glass. 

"  Now  try  the    rebosito,   my  dear,"  the   grand- 


88  THE    SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

mother  said,  offering  the  pretty  scarf  in  exchange 
for  the  hat 

In  a  trice  the  long,  gauzy  rebozo  was  wound 
loosely  about  the  smooth,  black  head  and  plump 
shoulders,  as  only  a  Mexican  girl  can  manipulate 
such  an  article.  One  long,  fringed  end  was  tossed 
back  over  the  left  shoulder,  and  the  harmony  of 
the  tints  of  scarf  and  dress  seemed  so  perfect  that 
the  sefiora  turned  away  with  the  hat  in  her  hand. 

"The  rebozo  must  always  be  worn  with  that 
dress,  Ninfa,"  she  said  with  decision  ;  "  the  hat 
will  do  well  for  the  other  muslin  dress,  but  pink 
roses  and  purple  pansies  are  a  horror.  Now  go 
and  have  a  pleasant  ride  with  Maria.  Perhaps  it 
will  be  the  last  time  you  will  go  to  Agua  Azul, 
who  knows?" 

Maria  was  several  years  older  than  Ninfa,  whom, 
in  fact,  she  considered  quite  a  child,  and  was  even 
more  trustworthy  than  Guadalupe,  the  cook,  as  a 
chaperon  for  the  young  mistress. 

The  little  clouds,  floating  above  the  plaza,  were 
already  growing  pink  with  the  sunset  as  Ninfa  and 
her  companion  reached  the  street  of  San  Francisco 
and  stepped  into  the  open  car  bound  for  the  baths 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  The  trip  to  Agua 
Azul  was  a  favorite  one  for  all  classes,  and  the  car 
was  quite  filled  with  passengers  from  the  plaza 
when  the  two  brave  little  mules,  tandem  style, 
trotted  off  with  their  burden,     The  air  was  fresh 


CASA    BARREDA  89 

now,  and  Maria  drew  her  black  shawl  more  closely 
about  her  shoulders,  though  her  head  was  bare. 

Crack  !  went  the  long,  keen  whip,  ;  faster  and 
faster  trotted  the  mules  between  long  rows  of 
many-colored  houses  toward  the  green  fields  and 
hills  outside  the  city.  At  this  hour  the  streets 
were  crowded  with  people  and  donkeys,  noisy  with 
multitudinous  cries,  and  odorous  with  the  outdoor 
cooking  of  savory  messes  for  those  who  should 
fancy  an  al  fresco  supper. 

The  great  fountain,  where  man  and  beast  were 
watering,  was  left  behind,  the  cobblestones  ended 
in  deep,  country  dust,  and  the  car  sped  onward  be- 
tween hedgerows  and  garden  walls.  It  finally  came 
to  a  sudden  stop  beside  brilliant  flower  beds  skirting 
the  cool  corridors  of  the  bathing  establishment. 

It  had  been  a  reckless  enough  sort  of  ride,  full  of 
hairbreadth  escapes  for  little  children  playing  on  the 
track  and  for  the  laughing,  breathless  passengers 
reeling  in  the  outer  corners  of  the  seats  at  startling 
curves  and  sudden  jerks.  All  left  the  car  at  the 
terminus,  though  most  returned  to  their  seats  when 
the  backs  of  the  benches  had  been  reversed  for 
the  homeward  trip. 

Ninfa  pleaded  that  they  might  remain  over  un- 
til the  next  car  should  arrive  and  return,  and 
Maria  was  as  ready  to  do  so  after  receiving  the 
conductor's  assurance  that  there  would  be  several 
more  cars  arriving. 


90  THE   SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

The  car  hastened  away  cityward,  and  soon  the 
jingle  of  bells  and  clatter  of  hoofs  were  out  of 
hearing.  A  damp,  sweet  odor  of  the  country  rose 
from  the  marshes  behind  the  baths  ;  the  frogs  were 
already  beginning  their  evening  concert ;  and  the 
mountains  in  the  distant  east  took  on  their  sunset 
hues  of  purple  and  rose.  For  a  while  Ninfa  and 
Maria  paced  the  walks  winding  about  the  flower 
beds,  thrusting  their  noses  into  the  great  bunches 
of  heliotropes  and  gathering  from  the  ground  at 
their  feet  handfuls  of  rose  petals,  pink,  crimson, 
and  white,  shed  from  the  rose  trees.  A  gardener 
gathered  a  nosegay  of  sweet  violets  and  green 
leaves  and  offered  them  to  the  bright-eyed  girl  who 
seemed  to  love  his  flowers  so  well. 

They  had  the  little  garden  almost  to  themselves, 
for  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two  women  left 
gossiping  with  the  keeper  of  the  baths,  a  black- 
gowned  priest  quietly  reading  at  the  far  end  of  the 
colonnade,  and  the  gardener,  they  were  the  only 
occupants  of  the  place.  The  car  delayed  in  com- 
ing, the  wind  blew  with  a  touch  of  keenness  now 
that  the  sun  had  slipped  behind  the  peak,  and 
Ninfa  and  her  companion  strolled  inside  of  the 
sheltered  walk  and  sat  down  on  one  of  the  stone 
seats  near  the  priest. 

As  they  did  so,  the  reader  lifted  his  eyes  from 
his  book  and  seemed  for  the  first  time  to  notice 
their    presence    in    the  garden,     After  a  second's 


CASA    BARREDA  9 I 

hesitation,  he  slipped  his  book  into  the  pocket  of 
his  gown,  rose  to  his  feet,  and  yawning  once  or 
twice  as  if  bored  or  tired  from  his  long  reading, 
walked  slowly  toward  the  bench  where  Ninfa  sat 
counting  her  violets. 


VIII 

"TT  is  Don  Justo,"  Maria  whispered  in.  Ninfa' s 
A  ear,  at  the  same  time  giving  the  girl  a  gentle 
nudge  with  her  elbow. 

Ninfa  looked  up  brightly  into  the  face  of  the 
priest,  who  seemed  about  to  pass  her  without  re- 
cognition. 

"Buenos  tardes,1  seiiorita"  he  said,  catching  her 
look  and  pausing  a  little  uncertainly  as  she  returned 
his  greeting.  Then  he  seemed  to  take  a  sudden 
resolution  and,  turning  to  Maria  with  some  au- 
thority in  his  manner,  requested  her  to  leave  the 
senorita  with  him  for  a  few  moments,  as  he  had 
something  of  importance  to  say  to  her  alone. 

Maria  hesitated  and  without  rising  from  her  seat 
looked  at  Ninfa  for  instructions. 

"Go  and  see  if  the  car  is  coming,  Maria,"  Ninfa 
said  laughingly.  "  You  need  not  mind  Don  Justo, 
I  am  sure,  for  mama  would  be  quite  willing  for  an 
old  friend,  such  as  he  is,  to  speak  to  me.  Hurry, 
Maria,  for  I  am  cold  and  in  great  haste  to  return 
home." 

Then  this  mendacious  young  person  turned  her 
back   upon    Maria,    reluctantly  obeying  her   com- 

1  Good-afternoon. 
92 


Casa  barreda  93 

mand,  and  raised  her  large  eyes,  laughing  no 
longer,  to  the  priest,  who  had  bided  his  time. 

"  I  am  surprised  at  you,  Don  Justo,"  Ninfa  said ; 
"but  if  you  have  anything  to  say  to  me,  now  is  the 
time  to  say  it.  My  grandmother  will  never  allow 
you  to  speak  with  me  alone  in  her  house." 

The  priest  bit  his  lips,  but  kept  down  his  pride 
and  answered  calmly  : 

"  For  that  reason  I  am  here.  I  overheard  the 
Sefiora  Barreda  say  to  the  servant  in  the  plaza  this 
afternoon  that  she  should  send  you  out  for  a  paseo 
to  Agua  Azul,  as  you  were  growing  pale  from  con- 
finement in  the  house.  I  took  the  first  car  out 
after  that  and  have  waited  for  an  opportunity  to 
speak  with  you.  Not  to  waste  words  :  tell  me,  on 
what  day  do  you  leave  for  Saltillo  ?  " 

"On  next  Saturday,"  Ninfa  replied  promptly. 

"And  to-day  is  Wednesday,"  the  priest  mused. 
"When  I  last  saw  your  grandmother  she  had  not 
decided  upon  the  day.  Is  all  finally  arranged 
then?" 

"  Yes,  all  except  the  question  as  to  whether  I 
shall  wear  my  new  tapalo^  or  an  American  hat  on 
the  train,"  Ninfa  replied  mischievously. 

The  priest  frowned. 

"As  vain  and  frivolous  as  ever,"  he  muttered 
impatiently.  "Ninfa  Barreda,"  he  said  sternly, 
"  I  am  no  longer  the  boy  whom  you  delighted  to 

1  Black  shawl,  worn  over  head  or  shoulders. 


94  the  senora's  granddaughters 

despise  and  trample  under  your  feet ;  neither  are 
you  the  child  who  would  never  study  nor  learn  the 
least  useful  thing  from  her  elders.  Listen  !  Do 
you  know  that  I  remember  your  father  very  well, 
and  even  your  beautiful  mother  ?  Did  you  know 
that  it  was  I  who  heard  your  father's  last  words  as 
the  horse  trampled  him  to  death  in  the  corral?" 

Ninfa  grew  very  pale  as  he  spoke  and  stamped 
her  foot  on  the  stones.  "Then  why  did  you  not 
save  my  poor  papa?"  she  cried  passionately.  "I 
am  sure  the  horrible  horse  would  have  preferred 
killing  you." 

11  Perhaps,"  the  priest  replied  drily.  "  Yet,  as  I 
was  only  a  child  of  six,  and  had  been  ordered  not 
to  get  down  from  the  fence  while  my  father  branded 
the  new  horses,  I  was  safe.  Your  father  looked  up 
at  me  from  the  ground  just  below  where  I  sat  half 
dead  with  fright,  and  I  can  never  forget  his  look. 
1  May  the  blessed  Virgin  open  heaven  to  my  soul !' 
was  what  he  said,  and  no  one  heard  but  me." 

Ninfa  was  trembling  like  a  leaf.  Now,  with  all 
coquetry  put  to  flight  by  the  priest's  cruel  memo- 
ries, she  longed  for  escape  from  his  presence.  There 
was  as  yet  no  sign  of  the  returning  car,  and  quite 
out  of  hearing  of  the  padre 's  words,  Maria  stood 
talking  with  the  gardener.  The  old  powerful  in- 
influence  of  Ninfa's  former  playmate  was  closing 
about  her.  Little  could  she  imagine  that  the 
priest's  next  words  were  spoken  as  a  salve  to  his 


CASA    BARREDA  95 

own  conscience,  offended  by  his  act  of  interference 
with  the  will  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 

"  Child,"  Justo  began  more  quietly,  satisfied  that 
he  had  exorcised  for  the  time  the  spirit  of  mischiev- 
ous vanity  possessing  Ninfa,  "for  the  sake  of  the 
last  look  from  your  father's  eyes,  and  those  last 
words  from  his  lips,  which  I  shall  carry  with  me  to 
my  dying  day,  I  am  forcing  myself  to  offer  you  a 
word  of  counsel." 

At  this  Ninfa  lifted  her  drooping  head  and  looked 
full  into  the  priest's  colorless  face  with  a  sparkle  of 
warning  in  her  eyes. 

"  You  are  going  to  the  Saltillo  school  as  a  little 
lamb  astray  in  the  dark  woods,  where  there  are 
fierce  wolves  wandering  in  sheep's  clothing  ready 
to  snatch  you  from  the  path " 

"Are  there  any  paths  in  those  woods  ?  "  Ninfa 
asked,  with  a  twitching  at  the  corners  of  her  mouth. 

"  Certainly,  there  is  one  path.  The  one  trodden 
by  your  grandmother  and  your  mother  before  you, 
the  only  right  path." 

"Are  you  sure  that  I  am  treading  it  now?" 
was  her  next  question. 

"  If  you  are  faithful  to  your  religious  vows,  yes." 

"And  are  all  the  other  paths  in  the  woods  dan- 
gerous ?  " 

"There  are  wolves  wandering  everywhere  there, 
offering  to  lead  you  to  what  they  will  call  '  better ' 
and  'easier'  paths." 


g6  the  senora's  granddaughters 

"I  should  like  to  tiy  something  new,"  Ninfa 
said  perversely.  "  I  am  tired  of  the  old  paths. 
That  is  why  I  am  glad  to  leave  my  grandmother 
and  go  to  the  large  school." 

"  But  you  will  have  to  be  careful,  senorita.  It 
will  be  hard  to  be  faithful  in  your  prayers.  And 
you  must  never  attend  the  Protestants'  church  serv- 
ice." 

"  Does  my  mama  say  that  I  must  obey  you  ?  " 
Ninfa  asked.  "  She  has  not  told  me  any  '  must 
nots.'  But  Padre  Justo,  you  really  need  not  ex- 
pect me  to  listen  to  your  warnings.  How  do  I 
know  that  you  yourself  are  not  a  wolf  in  sheep's 
clothing  trying  to  mislead  a  little  innocent  lamb 
like  me  ?  Who  told  my  grandmother  to  send  me 
to  the  institute  if  not  the  Mother  Mary  herself? 
She  would  naturally  be  more  careful  of  me  than 
you  would,  and  we  have  been  perfectly  satisfied 
since  she  took  the  matter  into  her  hands.  Even 
Padre  Manuel,  my  confessor,  says  that  it  must  be 
all  right,  since  mama  has  offered  fifty  dollars  to  the 
shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Rosary  to  bespeak  a  safe 
journey  for  me." 

Justo  had  been  seized  with  a  qualm  of  discomfort 
at  Ninfa's  first  words,  but  had  experienced  instant 
relief,  as  she  had  glided  off  from  the  subject  of  his 
responsibility. 

"You  are  right,  senorita,"  he  replied  courteously. 
"And  the  Lady  Mother  will  hold  you  in  her  own 


CASA    BARREDA  97 

especial  keeping.  You  will  not  remember  my 
words  of  warning  counsel  against  me,  I  trust.  For 
the  sake  of  our  old  friendship  I  ventured  to  speak. 
And  now  here  comes  Maria  to  tell  you  that  the 
car  is  approaching.  Adios,  senorita,  and  may  you 
have  a  prosperous  journey." 

He  took  her  hand  for  a  moment,  and  as  she 
turned  to  leave  the  corridor,  he  offered  his  own  to 
Maria  to  be  kissed,  as  became  his  priestly  char- 
acter. He  had  taken  something  from  his  pocket 
before  doing  so,  however,  and  before  Maria  fol- 
lowed Ninfa  to  the  car,  what  he  had  held  had  been 
transferred  to  the  servant's  hand.  The  piece  of 
silver  had  bought  the  maid's  silence  concerning  the 
interview  with  Ninfa.  Dusk  was  settling  over  the 
houses  as  the  car  unburdened  itself  of  its  passengers 
in  the  plaza,  and  already  the  lamp  had  been  lighted 
in  the  court  when  Ninfa  and  Maria  reached  home. 

The  priest  had  remained  at  the  Baths  until  the 
last  car  of  all  should  return  to  the  city,  and  having 
eased  his  conscience  of  its  slight  ache,  he  found 
himself  ready  to  face  the  future  that  should  succeed 
the  departure  of  Ninfa  on  the  following  Saturday. 

Sefiora  Barreda,  always  attentive  to  the  conven- 
tionalities of  life,  had  been  rejoiced  to  hear  of  the 
very  seasonable  journey  from  the  city  of  Mexico  to 
New  York  of  a  gentleman  whom  she  had  long 
known  and  with  whose  family  she  had   been   inti- 


98  the  senora's  granddaughters 

mate  when  a  girl  in  the  city.  Business  was  calling 
him  to  the  "States,"  and  it  was  arranged  by  tele- 
gram that  Ninfa  should  meet  him  at  Celaya,  whence 
they  should  travel  together  to  Saltillo  in  the  north. 
The  grandmother  herself  chose  to  accompany  Ninfa 
to  Celaya,  and  the  long  ride  on  the  train  was 
undertaken  with  every  preparation  for  comfort. 

Ninfa  had  never  traveled  farther  than  the  small 
station  for  the  falls  of  Juanacatlan,  a  short  distance 
from  the  city,  and  a  whole  day  on  the  train,  to  be 
followed  by  a  few  hours  in  a  hotel,  and  then  by 
many  more  hours  on  the  train  again,  offered  un- 
limited scope  to  her  imagination  of  the  romantic 
and  charming. 

In  the  early  morning  of  the  day  of  her  departure, 
she  stood  with  her  grandmother  on  a  balcony  over- 
looking the  street,  watching  a  peon  below,  who  had 
shouldered  her  trunk  and  was  trotting  off  with  it 
toward  the  railway  station.  The  horses  were  being 
harnessed  to  the  family  carriage  in  the  court,  and 
the  stamping  of  their  feet  upon  the  stones  resounded 
through  the  house. 

Both  travelers  were  ready  for  the  journey,  the 
sefiora  in  her  usual  black  attire,  wearing  upon  her 
head  a  mantilla  of  fine  crocheted  wool,  and  Ninfa 
in  a  sober  suit  of  brown,  with  a  beribboned  hat  of 
brown  straw  set  above  the  coil  of  black  hair. 

Suddenly  an  apparition  of  shining  silver  spurs 
and  buttons,  of  tan-colored  buckskin,  of  searching, 


CASA    BARREDA  99 

honest  eyes,  flashed  in  the  sunlight  flooding  the 
street  corner  just  beyond  the  balcony.  The  satiny 
coat  of  a  fine  bay  horse  shone  redly ;  a  manly  figure 
sat  erect  upon  the  Spanish  saddle ;  a  gauntleted 
hand  was  raised  to  lift  the  peaked  sombrero  from 
a  head  covered  with  crisp  brown  curls ;  and  the 
Senorito  Anselmo  Cardenas  rode  slowly  past  the 
balcony  where  Ninfa  stood  with  her  grandmother. 

If  Ninfa's  head  had  not  drooped  just  then,  in 
unconscious  acknowledgment  of  the  greeting  of  the 
young  man's  uplifted  eyes,  she  would  have  seen 
the  senora's  frank  return  of  Anselmo' s  salute  by  a 
friendly  bow  and  a  slight  wave  of  the  hand.  When 
she  raised  her  head  once  more,  the  cavalier  was 
already  far  up  the  street,  and  the  carriage  was 
rumbling  up  to  the  foot  of  the  steps  in  the  court. 

An  hour  later  the  long  train  was  rushing  toward 
the  east,  leaving  behind  the  domes  and  spires  of 
the  numerous  churches  of  Guadalajara,  and  passing 
through  the  dry  country  which  had  long  been  pant- 
ing and  thirsting  for  the  rainy  season  of  June  to 
begin. 

Before  the  light  of  the  Sunday  morning  broke 
over  the  hills,  Ninfa  had  been  delivered  into  the 
fatherly  care  of  Don  Santiago  del  Valle,  the  gray- 
haired  compatriot  of  her  grandmother,  and  the 
Sefiora  Barreda  had  entered  the  return  train  for 
the  west. 


PART  II 

AMERICANOS  OF  SALTILLO 


Howe'er  it  be,  it  seems  to  me, 

Tis  only  noble  to  be  good. 
Kind  hearts  are  more  than  coronets, 

And  simple  Faith  than  Norman  blood. 

— ^Alfred  Tennyson 


I 


SALTILLO,  the  capital  city  of  the  Mexican 
State  of  Coahuila,  in  the  north  of  the  repub- 
lic, stands  six  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level. 
Viewed  from  the  summit  of  the  hill  crowned  by  the 
ruins  of  the  American  fort,  it  seems  little  more  than 
a  huddle  of  flat,  dirt-covered  roofs,  broken  here  and 
there  by  bunches  of  greenery  representing  orchards 
or  small  public  gardens.  Toward  the  west  one  sees 
the  leafy  growth  of  the  Alameda,  or  public  park,  on 
the  edge  of  the  city.  In  the  eastern  limit,  lies  the 
Campo  Santo,  the  holy  ground,  consecrated  to  the 
burial  of  the  dead. 

The  towers  and  yellow-washed  walls  of  the  cathe- 
dral rise  from  near  the  heart  of  the  city,  facing  the 
Plaza  de  Independencia.  About  the  plaza,  the  main 
business  portion  of  the  city,  is  situated  the  munici- 
pal palace,  the  Tomasichi  Hotel,  and  the  portal,  a 
lofty  colonnade  containing  the  chief  drugstore  and 
other  shops. 

Long,  narrow  streets  lead  in  every  direction  from 
this  central  plaza,  bordered  by  shops  and  residences 
of  one  story,  colored  pink,  blue,  green,  or  yellow, 
according  to  the  taste  of  the  owner.  All  windows 
are  guarded  by  iron  or  wooden  bars,  as  they  look 

IOI 


102  THE   SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

directly  upon  sidewalk  or  court,  and  as  a  rule  are 
closed  by  unglazed,  heavy  wooden  shutters  opening 
inside  on  hinges. 

Yet  this  dry  and  dusty  little  city  of  nineteen 
thousand  inhabitants  has  a  peculiar  charm  of  its 
own.  The  quaint  by-streets,  the  long,  blank  or- 
chard walls,  the  throngs  of  sandaled  pedestrians 
wearing  shawls  and  blankets  of  vivid  hues,  the 
bronzed  faces,  the  overloaded  little  donkeys,  bear- 
ing faggots  or  bundles  of  corn,  the  warm  sunlight 
bathing  the  many-colored  houses,  and  the  brilliant 
sky  over  all,  make  ever-changing  scenes,  truly  Ori- 
ental in  character.  It  has  been  said  by  travelers 
that  the  city  of  Saltillo  resembles  the  towns  of  Pal- 
estine as  does  no  other  in  the  New  World. 

In  the  hottest  season  of  the  year  there  is  always 
shade  and  coolness  in  the  plazas.  The  Plaza  de 
Independencia  is  especially  delightful,  for  under  the 
dense  foliage  of  the  trees,  called  fres?ws  de  Japon,  or 
Japanese  ash,  there  reigns  a  twilight  of  green  shade, 
with  the  sunlight  flickering  here  and  there  through 
the  tangle  of  leaves  overhead.  A  huge  fountain 
plays  in  the  center,  where  plump-cheeked  cherubs 
lave  their  dimpled  limbs  of  bronze  in  the  clear 
water  which  the  thirsty  wayfarer  may  drink  cold 
from  the  hilltop  springs. 

All  around  the  city  rise  the  rocky  cliffs  and  sum- 
mits of  the  mountains,  separated  from  the  street- 
endings  by  wide,   dusty  plains.     These  plains  are 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  IO3 

dotted  with  hamlets  and  small  ranches,  and  the 
level  roads  traversing  them  are  always  clouded 
with  the  dust  raised  by  the  little  scurrying  hoofs  of 
sheep  or  goats,  by  droves  of  charcoal-laden  don- 
keys, or  by  the  unwieldy  cart  of  the  country  bring- 
ing vegetables  and  fruit  to  the  market. 

High  and  dry  stands  the  city  on  the  grand  Mex- 
ican plateau,  with  an  atmosphere  as  "  exhilarating 
as  a  draught  of  wine."  Clouds  rarely  dim  the 
brightness  of  the  sky  by  day,  while  at  night  the 
moon  in  her  seasons  shines  with  a  soft  radiance 
never  realized  north  of  the  Rio  Grande. 

During  the  past  three  or  four  years  something 
of  modern  haste  and  energy  has  been  introduced 
into  this  old-world  city,  lying  just  two  hundred 
miles  below  the  Texan  frontier.  Street  cars  are 
taking  the  place  of  the  lumbering  coaches,  swung 
high  on  their  clumsy  springs,  and  electric  lights  are 
taking  the  place  of  the  oily  lanterns  suspended  in 
the  middle  of  the  street  by  wires  stretched  from 
opposite  houses. 

In  the  days  of  this  story,  and  they  are  not  very 
long  past  either,  the  "curfew"  rang  at  ten  o'clock 
each  night  from  the  cathedral  tower,  warning  all 
loiterers  to  their  homes  and  beds.  A  little  later 
the  policeman  in  charge  extinguished  the  lanterns 
swung  across  the  streets,  and  the  city  was  left  in 
the  darkness  which  was  its  safety. 

One  pleasant  evening  about  the  middle  of  April, 


104      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

the  back  door  of  a  certain  house  near  the  suburbs 
of  the  city  stood  wide  open,  admitting  the  last 
gleams  of  the  sun,  setting  behind  the  hill  of  the 
French  fort  The  door  opened  from  a  hallway 
having  a  corresponding  door  at  the  other  end  lead- 
ing directly  upon  the  sidewalk. 

A  man  wrapped  in  a  coarse  red  blanket,  and 
wearing  the  white  cotton  trousers  and  leathern  san- 
dals of  the  common  workman,  crouched  on  a  stool, 
a  little  removed  from  the  open  doorway.  His  frow- 
zled  black  head  was  tied  up  in  a  dingy  handker- 
chief, which  was  in  turn  surmounted  by  a  straw  hat. 
The  marks  of  long-continued  suffering  were  plainly 
drawn  upon  his  sunburned  face,  which  was  thin 
and  covered  by  a  sparse  beard,  and  his  hands  were 
swollen  and  discolored. 

A  woman  sat  on  the  doorstep  near  by  nursing  an 
infant  at  the  breast 

"Teresa,  is  not  this  Friday?  "  the  man  asked  sud- 
denly of  the  mother  of  the  babe. 

"Yes,  and  she  will  be  here  very  soon  now.  Were 
you  thinking  it  was  only  Thursday,  Luis?  " 

"  I  wish  she  could  come  every  eight  days,  instead 
of  every  fifteen,"  the  man  continued.  "It  is  hard 
to  give  up  one's  only  daughter  for  ten  months  in 
the  year,  with  only  a  few  hours  of  her  company 
every  fifteen  days." 

"Only  a  few  hours  ! "  Teresa  repeated  reproach- 
fully.     "  Why,  Luis,  it  is  two  whole  days  and  three 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  IO5 

nights.  You  forget  that  the  director  makes  an  ex- 
ception in  Lucita's  case,  in  allowing  her  to  stay 
from  Friday  afternoon  till  Monday  morning.  Most 
of  the  pupils  must  remain  at  school  a  part  of  Sat- 
urday for  the  sewing  class,  and  all  but  our  own 
daughter  return  on  Sunday  afternoons." 

"Well,  you  need  her,  I  am  sure,"  the  husband 
went  on,  wincing  with  pain  as  he  attempted  to 
draw  his  blanket  more  closely  across  his  breast. 
"  Since  the  rheumatism  has  clutched  me  so  that  I 
cannot  work,  and  with  the  baby  on  your  hands, 
I  have  been  thinking  of  taking  Lucita  from  the 
school " 

"Never  !"  the  woman  exclaimed,  turning  as  she 
spoke  to  lay  the  now  sleeping  baby  on  a  sheepskin 
spread  on  the  earth  floor  just  inside  of  the  door. 
She  threw  a  cloth  over  the  little  brown  face  and 
then  rose  to  her  feet  and  faced  her  husband,  saying 
steadily  : 

"  Lucita  is  going  to  school  as  long  as  the  director 
and  the  other  teachers  will  let  her  stay,  which  will 
be  until  she  finishes  the  course.  Then  she  will 
receive  her  '  papers,'  and  will  be  prepared  to  teach 
any  public  school  in  the  State.  Think  of  our 
daughter  teaching  a  room  full  of  ninas.  Oh,  it  will 
be  a  beautiful  sight ! " 

Luis  nodded  slowly  in  approbation  of  his  wife's 
ambitious  plans.  He  was  as  proud  of  his  daugh- 
ter's attainments  as  the  mother  could  be. 


106  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

Teresa  picked  up  the  stump  of  a  broom  and 
began  vigorously  brushing  up  the  floor  of  the  hall 
while  she  continued  talking. 

"As  to  your  rheumatism,"  she  said,  "  Lucita 
could  not  do  your  adobe  making  if  she  were  at 
home,  and  Pepito,  little  as  he  is,  needs  nothing  that 
I  cannot  do  for  him.  When  he  is  older  and  heavier 
I  may  need  a  child  to  carry  him  about  for  me,  but 
by  that  time  vacation  will  be  here  and  Lucita  will 
help.  She  is  always  willing  to  work  when  she  is 
at  home,  and  you  know  yourself  that  on  the  Satur- 
days she  spends  here  she  does  all  the  mending  and 
any  other  sewing  there  may  be  to  be  done.  Her 
class  in  costura,  she  calls  it,  and  she  is  also  learning 
the  beautiful  stitches  the  teacher  of  costura  shows 
the  class  at  school  on  Saturday  mornings.     Oyez/" 

The  stream  of  words  was  interrupted  by  the 
sound  of  quick  steps  upon  the  stone  outside  of  the 
street  door,  and  the  next  instant  the  latchstring  was 
pulled,  the  latch  lifted,  and  a  lady  entered,  followed 
by  a  tall  slender  girl. 

"  I  suppose  we  may  come  in  Dona  Teresa,"  the 
lady  said,  speaking  in  Spanish,  yet  with  a  foreign 
accent. 

"  Pase,  senorita.  Pasa}  Lucita''  was  the  joyous 
response.  "  You  are  both  welcome.  Lucita,  bring 
the  chair  from  the  room  for  the  senorita.  Take 
care,  child,  do  not  step  on  Pepito." 

Luis  raised  himself  to  his  feet  after  more  than 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  107 

one  painful  effort,  and  his  greeting  to  the  new- 
comers was  as  warm  as  his  wife's.  The  daughter 
of  the  house  seemed  particularly  glad  to  be  near 
her  father  again,  and  after  seating  her  companion 
lost  no  time  in  seating  herself  at  his  feet. 

"  I  have  but  a  moment  to  stay,"  the  senorita 
said,  "but  as  I  am  quite  out  of  breath  from  climb- 
ing your  long  hill  I  will  sit  down,  just  to  hear  how 
you  are,  Don  Luis.  This  fine  breeze  is  not  good 
for  your  pains  I  fear." 

"But  you  are  better,  papa,  I  can  see  in  your 
face,"  Lucita  said. 

Don  Luis  held  up  his  knotted  hand  and  then 
slowly  outstretched  one  stiffened  leg,  as  if  to  con- 
sult with  his  afflicted  members  before  replying  to 
the  inquiries  respecting  his  health. 

"The  dolores  are  very  bad  still,  senorita,"  he 
said  at  length ;  "  but  they  will  be  better  now  that 
my  daughter  has  come  home.  That  last  liniment 
you  sent  by  her  did  me  much  good  ;  but  Teresa 
rubs  too  hard." 

"  His  flesh  is  as  tender  as  Pepito's,"  Teresa  in- 
terrupted compassionately.  "  But  Lucita  is  better 
at  taking  care  of  the  sick  than  I  am.  She  is  learn- 
ing many  things  at  school  with  you  and  the  rest, 
besides  the  books." 

"  Yet  it  is  your  good  hands  that  are  supporting 
the  family  while  Don  Luis  is  laid  up,"  the  senorita 
reminded  her. 


108  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

Then,  as  the  baby  stirred  on  his  sheepskin,  and 
feebly  clutched  at  the  cloth  over  his  face,  Lucita 
reached  over  and  gathered  the  little  bundle  to  her 
breast,  covering  the  face  of  her  baby  brother  with 
soft  kisses,  and  exclaiming  between  the  caresses  : 
"Oh,  how  sweet !  What  a  darling  !  Look,  Sefiorita 
Julia,  are  not  his  little  hands  and  feet  beautiful?" 

The  baby  would  have  been  beautiful,  perhaps, 
if  he  had  not  been  so  very  thin  and  feeble.  The 
pinched  features  of  the  small  face,  and  the  white 
cloth  tied  closely  over  his  head  and  ears  gave  Pepito 
the  look  of  a  dwindling,  little  old  man.  This  like- 
ness to  a  man  was  increased  by  the  little  one's  dress. 
A  short  sack  of  flimsy  pink  calico  covered  the 
upper  part  of  the  body,  while  funny  little  pants 
of  white  cotton,  drawn  about  the  waist  by  a  string, 
reached  quite  to  the  baby  feet — a  most  handy,  if 
grotesque,  fashion  of  dressing  a  four-months-old 
baby. 

The  Senorita  Julia  duly  admired  the  child,  whose 
dark  eyes  and  lashes  were  really  pretty,  and  then 
turned  to  the  scene  beyond  the  open  door. 

"  I  always  like  the  view  from  this  door,  Dona 
Teresa,"  she  said.  "  I  wonder  if  you  know  how 
beautiful  it  is  !  Those  ruined  mud  walls  of  the 
fort  up  there,  with  the  great  gaps  where  the  blue 
sky  shines  through,  are  like  a  beautiful  picture,  or 
rather  a  beautiful  picture  could  be  made  from  them. 
Then   this   tall   palm   tree   half-way  down  the  hill 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  IO9 

toward  us,  with  a  little  gray  donkey  usually  grazing 
at  its  foot,  and  the  stone  wall  at  the  back  of  your 
corral  there.  I  always  think  how  pleasant  it  all  looks 
from  this  door  when  I  get  back  to  my  room  at  the 
institute.  Lucita  is  glad  to  be  here  again,  I  know, 
for  it  seems  almost  like  being  in  the  country  when 
the  front  door  is  closed." 

"  I  sometimes  think  about  what  you  have  been 
saying,  sefiorita,"  the  sick  man  said,  with  a  smile 
wrinkling  his  worn  cheeks,  "  only  I  cannot  put  what 
I  think  into  such  words  as  you  use." 

"  My  papa  and  I  like  best  of  all  the  colors  in  the 
sky,"  Lucita  said  quietly,  letting  her  eyes  rest  on 
the  soft  pink  glow  spreading  over  the  west.  "The 
blue  is  beautiful,  but  we  have  that  all  day  long  and 
get  accustomed  to  it,  I  suppose.  When  the  sun 
goes  down  it  is  all  changed,  and  different  every 
day." 

Even  the  plain  features  of  Don  Luis  and  his  wife 
received  a  touch  of  the  glory  of  the  sky  as  their 
eyes  followed  Lucita' s. 

"But  it  will  be  quite  dark  before  I  get  home," 
the  sefiorita  exclaimed,  rising  hastily  to  her  feet. 
"  I  had  not  meant  to  stop,  but  you  looked  so  peace- 
ful and  happy  in  here  that  I  thought  I  might  stay 
and  enjoy  my  picture  for  a  moment.  All  of  the 
homes  I  visit  are  not  like  yours,  Don  Luis,  and  I 
think  you  and  I  know  one  of  the  reasons  why  it  is 
so.     What  did  you  say  ?     Sing  ?     Yes,  indeed,  we 


110      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

will.      Come,  Lucita,  stand  here  in  this  lovely  light 
and  let  us  sing  our  evening  hymn." 

Lucita  rose,  and  still  holding  the  little  brother 
clasped  to  her  heart,  joined  in  singing  her  father's 
favorite  hymn : 

Sol  de  mi  ser,  mi  Salvador, 
Contigo  vivo  sin  te7nor ; 
No  quieras  esco7ider  jamas 
De  mi  la  gloria  de  tufaz.1 

With  a  hearty  handshake  all  around  after  the 
hymn,  and.  a  reminder  of  the  coming  Sunday's 
services  at  the  church,  the  sefiorita  took  her  de- 
parture. She  was  followed  to  the  door  by  Teresa 
and  her  daughter,  who  watched  her  until  she  turned 
a  corner  and  was  out  of  sight. 

"Now,  mamacita"  Lucita  said,  "take  the  baby, 
and  I  will  step  to  the  shop  at  the  corner  and  buy 
two  cents'  worth  of  cheese  for  papa 's  supper." 


1  A  translation  of 


Sun  of  my  soul,  thou  Saviour  dear, 
It  is  not  night  if  thou  be  near  ; 
Oh,  let  no  earth-born  cloud  arise 
To  hide  thee  from  thy  servant's  eyes. 


II 


LUCITA  found  enough  to  do  in  the  poor  place 
which  she  loved  to  call  home  to  keep  her 
busy  during  most  of  the  next  day.  The  sun  had 
not  yet  risen  when  she  slipped  quietly  out  of  the 
street  door  with  a  large  water-jar  of  red  earthen- 
ware in  her  hands.  More  than  one  trip  was  made 
between  the  house  and  the  nearest  fountain,  and 
the  broken  sidewalk  and  half-way  across  the  street 
in  front  of  the  house  had  been  sprinkled  before 
the  summits  of  the  western  hills  received  their  first 
touch  of  gold  from  the  east. 

In  watering  the  street,  Lucita  had  received  morn- 
ing greetings  from  her  neighbors  engaged  in  a 
similar  office  before  their  own  doors.  This  water- 
ing, be  it  understood,  was  not  a  stingy  sprinkling 
here  and  there,  just  enough  to  curl  up  little  lumps 
of  dust  and  then  dry  away  under  the  first  sunbeams, 
for  the  large  jars  of  water  were  emptied  with  a 
wide-sweeping  movement  again  and  again  until 
every  inch  of  space,  already  swept  clean  by  early 
brooms,  was  thoroughly  wetted. 

This  early  morning  wetting  of  the  streets,  re- 
quired by  law  of  every  house-owner  or  renter  in 
most  Mexican  towns,  makes  the  early  hours  of  the 

in 


II 2  THE   SENORA's    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

day  peculiarly  invigorating  during  the  hot  and 
dusty  season  of  the  year.  Some  of  the  women 
going  to  and  from  the  fountain  with  jars  upon  their 
bare  shoulders  scarcely  noticed  Lucita,  though  only 
one  or  two  absolutely  refused  to  return  her  "Buenos 
dios"  The  general  sentiment  of  the  neighborhood 
concerning  Don  Luis  Rubio  and  his  family  was 
that  they  were  quiet  and  good-natured  neighbors, 
even  though  they  were  protestantes,  and  this  tall 
daughter  of  theirs,  with  the  dignified  carriage  and 
the  fair  face,  was  not  to  be  ignored  except  by  the 
most  fanatical. 

When  the  street  was  done  to  Lucita's  satisfac- 
tion, she  swept  and  watered  the  hall  inside  the 
house,  throwing  open  the  doors  at  each  end  to 
admit  the  sweet  air  into  the  windowless  apartment. 
A  stir  and  a  series  of  fretful  cries  from  the  baby 
inside  the  one  room  of  the  house  arrested  Lucita 
before  she  could  transfer  her  labors  to  the  corral 
behind  the  house. 

Catching  up  her  rebozo,  which  she  had  laid  aside 
during  the  watering  of  the  hallway,  she  wound  it 
around  her  shoulders,  and  groping  her  way  in  the 
darkness  to  the  mat  where  Pepito  lay,  lifted  him 
tenderly  in  her  strong  arms.  Her  mother  stirred 
and  half  arose  as  she  missed  the  baby  from  her 
side  ;  then,  slipping  from  her  hard  bed,  she  fol- 
lowed Lucita.  The  girl  had  already  tucked  the 
little  brother  into  a  loop  of  her  scarf,  and  the  wee 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  I  I  3 

black  head  had  nestled  against  her  shoulder  in 
perfect  content. 

"He  needs  the  fresh  air,  mamacita"  Lucita  said, 
as  her  mother  stood  at  her  side  in  the  outer  door- 
way, stretching  her  arms  above  her  head  and  yawn- 
ing over  and  over  again.  "And  so  do  we  all,"  she 
went  on.  "We  learned  last  week  in  our  physiology 
that  it  is  almost  a  crime  against  ourselves  to  sleep 
in  close,  shut-up  rooms  like  ours  in  there,  mama." 

"But  your  papa  could  not  have  the  night  air 
with  his  rheumatism,"  the  mother  returned;  "and 
besides,  it  is  our  custom  to  sleep  thus,  Lucita." 

"We  are  not  allowed  to  do  so  at  school,"  Lucita 
replied.  "The  sefiorita  makes  us  leave  the  shutters 
open  in  the  upper  half  of  the  doors  so  that  fresh 
air  can  come  in  all  night,  and  there  are  only  the 
bars  between  us  and  the  corridor." 

"That  is  all  very  well  for  the  school,"  Teresa 
retorted  a  little  sharply  ;  "  but  you  cannot  expect  to 
have  everything  to  suit  you  in  your  poor  father's 
house.  You  know  that  there  are  no  bars  to  the 
window  in  the  room,  and  as  it  opens  on  the  street, 
it  would  be  impossible  to  leave  the  shutters  open 
while  we  sleep,  though  the  window  is  so  small  and 
high  above  the  floor.  The  sereno1  would  come 
along  and  wake  us  all  up  to  close  the  shutters  if  he 
should  ever  find  them  open." 

"We  might  have  a  hole  cut  in  one  of  the  shut- 

1  Policeman. 
H 


114  THE  senora's  granddaughters 

ters,"  Lucita  argued  pleasantly,  cuddling  the  baby 
against  her  neck  as  she  spoke.  "A  hole  so  small 
that  even  my  hermanito  could  not  enter  would  do 
no  harm  and  would  make  all  of  us  sleep  better." 

"Did  you  not  sleep  last  night?"  Teresa  asked 
quickly,  looking  suddenly  into  her  daughter's  freshly 
colored  face.  "You  look  well,  but  I  suppose  that 
is  because  of  the  good  food  and  bed  they  give  you 
at  the  school." 

Stanch  as  was  Teresa's  faith  in  the  Madero  In- 
stitute, there  were  moments  when  a  keen  jealousy 
would  prick  her  motherly  heart  at  the  thought  that 
the  home  life  of  Lucita  would  more  and  more,  as 
time  advanced,  present  a  strong  contrast  to  the 
comfort  and  orderliness  of  the  school. 

"Mama,  do  not  speak  so;  you  know  that  I  love 
this  house  and  my  papa  and  the  baby  and  you 
better  than  anything  the  school  can  give  me." 
Lucita  spoke  earnestly  and  laid  her  hand  on  her 
mother's  shoulder  as  she  "did  so.  She  was  already 
a  head  taller  than  Teresa,  though  her  slim  figure 
and  youthful  face  made  it  clear  that  she  could  not 
yet  have  reached  more  than  eighteen  years  of  age. 
"It  is  you  who  are  pale  and  unrested,  mamacita" 
she  went  on.  "The  little  man's  crying  could  not 
keep  me  awake  as  it  did  you,  and  I  heard  even 
papa  s  groans,  as  in  a  dream.  I  am  going  to  take 
care  of  Pepito  all  day,  and  he  is  always  good  with 
me,  you  know." 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  1  I  5 

The  mother  smiled  gratefully  and  went  out  into 
the  corral  to  pour  water  over  her  face  and  hands 
from  the  jar  left  on  the  ground  by  Lucita. 

While  Teresa,  wrapped  in  her  faded  blue  rebozo, 
went  out  then  to  buy  a  few  cents'  worth  of  charcoal 
from  the  carbonero  at  the  corner,  Lucita  sat  down 
upon  the  doorstep  and  proceeded  to  take  off  the 
baby's  clothes,  which  were  the  same  as  those  worn 
on  the  day  before. 

"Poor  little  brother!"  she  crooned.  "I  wish 
thou  hadst  more  little  clothes  to  wear.  Never 
mind ;  sister  will  make  thee  a  new  pair  of  panties 
to-day  out  of  her  old  skirt,  and  to-morrow  thou 
shalt  go  to  church  and  hear  the  pretty  music." 

She  poured  some  of  the  water  from  the  jar  into 
a  small  earthen  dish  and  with  a  bit  of  cloth  bathed 
Pepito's  puny  little  body  from  head  to  foot.  The 
baby  stretched  its  limbs  on  Lucita's  lap  in  great 
comfort  under  the  cooling  ministrations  of  the 
wash-cloth,  and  it  took  several  washings  to  satisfy 
Lucita  that  her  brother  was  quite  clean.  She 
longed  for  the  generous  tub,  painted  white  inside, 
in  which  the  little  missionary  baby  at  the  school 
was  bathed  every  morning  and  night.  What  fresh, 
white,  cool  skin  was  the  result  of  those  frequent 
baths  !  And  then  the  soft  towels  and  the  fragrant 
soap  and  powder,  and  the  charming  white  robes  to 
follow  the  baths  of  that  fortunate  infant ! 

"  But  my  herrnanito  is  cooler  in  his  jacket  and 


n6 

panties  than  the  little  gringo  is  in  all  his  fine  long 
clothes,"  she  mused.  "  If  I  only  had  a  bit  of  nice 
soap,  Pepito  would  be  as  sweet  as  he  is  clean 
now." 

Then  she  laid  the  child  on  the  sheepskin,  cover- 
ing him  with  her  rebozo,  while  she  searched  in  tne 
other  room  for  another  pair  of  small  trousers.  She 
found  them  at  last,  ragged  but  clean,  and  after 
dressing  the  baby  proceeded  to  wash  the  other 
pair  and  hang  them  out  to  dry  on  a  thorn  bush  in 
the  corral. 

Pepito  was  induced  to  go  to  sleep  again  after  his 
bath,  in  time  for  his  sister  to  help  her  father  out  of 
bed  and  to  his  stool  in  the  warm  sunshine,  now 
flooding  the  corral. 

Teresa  returned  with  the  charcoal,  and  a  fire  was 
soon  glowing  in  the  earthen  brazier  and  water  boil- 
ing for  the  coffee.  Teresa  had  brought  also  a  little 
paper  of  coffee,  a  loaf  of  coarse  bread,  and  a  cone 
of  brown  sugar  with  her  from  the  store,  and  Lucita 
helped  about  making  the  coffee. 

The  ground  grains  were  thrown  into  the  boiling 
water,  together  with  a  generous  supply  of  the  brown 
sugar,  and  after  a  good  deal  of  stirring  of  the  black 
liquid  so  that  the  hard  sugar  might  dissolve,  break- 
fast was  ready. 

Three  brown  mugs  were  set  on  a  cloth  spread 
over  a  small  bench  outside  the  door,  the  loaf  was 
broken  into  three  parts,  and  the  coffee  was  poured 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  I  I  7 

smoking  into  the  cups.  Teresa  and  Lucita  sat  on 
the  dry  ground  at  the  feet  of  Don  Luis.  Before  a 
mouthful  was  eaten,  the  daughter  asked  for  the 
blessing  of  the  Lord  on  the  simple  meal  and  on 
the  day  before  them.  She  had  learned  to  do  this 
at  the  school,  and  her  words  were  in  part  those  the 
Sefiorita  Julia  often  used  on  like  occasions. 

"  '  We  pray  thee,  O  Father,  to  bless  this  food  to 
the  nourishment  of  our  bodies  ;  for  it  is  from  thy 
hand  and  to  thy  service  is  due  the  strength  we 
shall  receive  from  it.'  And  bless  each  one  of  us, 
dear  Lord,  papa,  mama,  little  brother  and  me,  and 
make  us  good  and  happy  all  day." 

Both  Luis  and  his  wife  joined  in  a  hearty 
"Amen,"  at  the  close,  and  then  the  coffee  and 
bread  were  eaten. 

No  finer,  sweeter  air  ever  blew  through  kings' 
palaces  than  stirred  the  dusty  leaves  in  the  corral 
of  this  poor  little  home,  and  no  bluer  sky  ever 
smiled  above  banquet  hall  more  fitted  for  the  en- 
joyment of  man's  daily  bread. 

After  the  meal  was  eaten,  Don  Luis  was  left  to 
watch  the  still  sleeping  baby,  while  wife  and 
daughter  went  about  their  further  household  du- 
ties. He  sat  motionless  in  the  sunshine  for  hours, 
reading  from  the  large-print  Testament  opened 
upon  his  knees. 

The  light  was,  after  a  while,  admitted  to  the  dark 
bedroom,  and  a  thorough  cleaning  accomplished 


Il8  the  senora's  granddaughters 

by  Lucita,  while  Teresa  made  the  tortillas1  to  be 
sold  before  noon  to  the  market  women.  The 
promised  " panties"  were  made  also,  and  there 
had  been  enough  left  of  the  whole  portions  of  the 
old  white  skirt  with  which  to  fashion  a  short  slip  for 
Pepito,  to  complete  his  costume  for  the  morrow. 
The  midday  tortillas  and  onion  stew  were  eaten, 
between  the  jobs  of  work,  and  in  the  afternoon 
Teresa  found  that  Lucita's  attention  to  the  baby 
gave  her  time  to  wash  and  iron  a  skirt  for  herself 
and  a  shirt  for  Don  Luis. 

The  full  and  happy  day  ended  in  another  rosy 
sunset,  and  again  Lucita  found  no  trouble  in  sleep- 
ing soundly  in  the  closed  room  on  her  mat  in  one 
corner.  Her  best  rebozo  of  dark  blue  and  white 
cotton  and  the  freshly  ironed  skirt  and  waist  of 
blue  lawn,  were  ready  for  the  next  day,  having 
been  laid  aside  during  Saturday  while  so  much 
rough  work  was  to  be  done.  An  old  skirt  and 
scarf  we're  used  at  home  on  these  fortnightly  occa- 
sions of  housecleaning  and  baby  tending. 

Ten  o'clock  of  the  next  day  found  Lucita  and  her 
mother  with  Pepito  in  the  church,  where  Sunday- 
school  lessons  were  going  on  briskly.  The  baby 
was  bright-eyed  and  happy,  nestling  within  his 
mother's  rebozo,  and  very  wide  awake  for  a  time  to 
all  that  was  going  on  around  him.  He  was  so 
clean   and  shining  of  face,  his  long  black  hair  was 

1  Thin  cakes  made  from  crushed  corn. 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  II9 

parted  so  evenly  and  brushed  so  smoothly,  his  eyes 
were  so  bright,  and  his  new  clothes  so  white  and 
cunning,  that  the  schoolgirls  made  much  of  him 
when  the  lesson  was  over.  All  the  pet  names  pos- 
sible were  showered  upon  the  unconscious  "ckulito" 
"  little  man,"  and  "  small  scrap  of  heaven." 

Before  the  sermon  began,  one  of  the  older  girls 
found  an  opportunity  for  giving  Lucita  a  bit  of 
news.  She  was  a  handsome  girl  with  flashing  eyes 
and  the  reddest  of  lips,  and  her  name  was  Arcadia. 

"You  would  better  go  back  to  school  with  us, 
after  church,"  she  said  to  Lucita  in  an  undertone 
as  she  sat  at  her  side.  "  The  empty  bed  in  our 
dormitory  is  to  be  prepared  for  the  new  girl  who 
will  arrive  this  afternoon.  All  the  rest  of  us  have 
gathered  up  our  things  from  the  bed  and  put  them 
away  the  best  we  could,  but  we  are  going  to  be 
dreadfully  crowded.  Your  books  and  your  sewing 
are  still  on  the  bed,  if  the  matron  has  not  already 
moved  them." 

"The  Sefiorita  Berta  will  take  care  of  my  books, 
if  she  has  had  to  move  them,"  Lucita  said  with 
confidence.  "And  I  cannot  go  back  to  school  this 
afternoon,  because  I  have  promised  to  read  to  papa. 
I  thought  the  new  scholar  was  to  have  one  of  the 
little  rooms  to  herself,  Arcadia  ;  and  why  does  she 
come  to  upset  things  on  Sunday?  " 

"Who  knows?"  was  Arcadia's  reply,  with  a 
shrug  of  the  shoulders.      "Our  room  is  the  best 


120      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

and  dryest,  you  know,  and  the  nearest  to  the  Sen- 
orita  Julia's.  Perhaps  that  is  the  reason.  I'll  see 
to  your  things,  Lucita,"  she  whispered,  as  the  pas- 
tor, who  was  also  director  of  the  mission  school 
rose  from  his  seat  in  the  pulpit. 

After  a  short  sermon  and  song  service,  there  was 
a  cordial  hand-shaking  at  the  door  as  the  congrega- 
tion dispersed.  Pepito,  now  softly  sleeping,  a  warm 
little  bunch  in  his  shawl  sling,  was  noticed  and 
duly  admired  by  the  mother  of  the  other  baby 
who  had  been  left  at  home  at  the  mission  school. 
Pepito's  mother  and  sister,  however,  were  in  a 
hurry  to  get  home  where  Luis  had  been  left  alone, 
so  they  did  not  wait  to  see  the  marshaling  of  the 
long  line  of  schoolgirls,  giggling,  whispering,  and 
nudging  each  other  in  the  aisles,  as  is  the  way  of 
schoolgirls  sometimes  in  the  house  of  God,  whether 
in  Protestant  or  Roman  Catholic  countries. 

A  blaze  of  sunlight  greeted  Teresa  and  her 
daughter  as  they  left  the  vestibule  in  the  church 
tower,  and  the  way  home  was  long  and  steep.  At 
the  top  of  the  long  street,  however,  they  found  rest 
and  coolness  within  the  thick  adobe  walls  of  their 
home,  and  Don  Luis  in  his  clean  shirt  and  head- 
kerchief  waiting  to  welcome  them. 

The  rest  day  ended  cheerfully,  and  even  music- 
ally, in  the  sunset-lighted  hallway,  for  Lucita  led 
her  father  and  mother  in  many  a  sacred  song,  dear 
to  these    three    hearts  because  of  the  intelligible 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  121 

Spanish  phrasing,  and  because  of  the  meaning 
given  to  the  words  by  long  acquaintance  with  them, 
through  dark  days  as  well  as  bright. 

Dona  Teresa  and  her  husband  had  not  been 
among  the  first  in  the  city  to  embrace  the  new 
"doctrine"  of  the  gringos,  yet  for  several  years 
they  had  been  members  of  the  church  in  the  San 
Francisco  plaza.  The  cheap  prints  of  the  Virgin 
and  the  saints  had  disappeared  from  the  house 
walls,  and  Don  Luis  might  have  been  often  seen 
spelling  out  the  verses  from  his  New  Testament, 
and  reading  them  aloud  to  the  wife  as  she  knelt 
before  her  kneading-stones  in  the  corral. 

Naturally,  Lucita  had  followed  in  her  parents' 
steps,  and  with  opportunities  which  had  not  been 
theirs,  the  girl  gave  promise  of  becoming  a  useful 
Christian  woman  of  more  than  common  intelligence. 

Pepito,  having  as  yet  no  further  responsibility 
than  that  of  imbibing  his  proper  nourishment  in 
the  shape  of  milk,  air,  and  loving  tones  and  smiles, 
had  not  chosen  his  religious  creed.  He  was  only  a 
plain,  brown,  long-haired  little  Mexican  baby,  like 
thousands  of  others  around  him. 


Ill 


WHEN  Lucita  entered  the  corridor  of  the  in- 
stitute at  half-past  eight  the  next  morning, 
her  thoughts  were  still  busied  with  the  family  she 
had  just  left  behind ;  with  her  father,  who  had  been 
diverted  from  his  pain  by  her  reading  and  other 
daughterly  attentions,  with  her  mother,  whose  tired 
arms  and  hands  she  had  relieved  in  more  ways  than 
in  taking  charge  of  the  baby,  and  with  Pepito  him- 
self, who  had  actually  cried  for  her  when  she  had 
left  him  in  the  mother's  arms  just  twenty  minutes 
before.  These  thoughts  were  not  long  allowed 
indulgence,  for  her  friend  Arcadia  and  one  of  the 
younger  girls,  named  Luz,  came  running  to  welcome 
her,  with  the  news  of  the  latest  arrival  tumbling 
helter-skelter  from  their  tongues. 

"  Do  not  go  into  the  dormitory  yet,  Lucita," 
Arcadia  counseled  her.  "  The  senorita  will  not  let 
us  in,  because  the  new  pupil  does  nothing  but  cry, 
cry,  cry.      She  cried  all  night,  Luz  says " 

"Yes,  she  did,"  the  little  girl  chimed  in  eagerly. 
"  My  bed  is  next  to  hers  and  I  heard  her.  Once  I 
asked  her  what  was  the  matter,  and  she  said  the 
bed  was  so  hard  she  could  not  go  to  sleep.  What 
a  goose  to  cry  about  that ! " 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  I  23 

"  It  was  not  the  bed,  Luz,  as  I  have  told  you 
over  and  over  again,"  Arcadia  answered.  "  She  is 
homesick,  the  Senorita  Berta  says,  and  not  used  to 
having  so  many  noisy  girls  around  her.  She  looks 
really  ill,  and  her  eyes  are  all  swollen  and  red. 
Where  are  you  going,  Lucita?"  she  asked.  The 
three  girls  had  been  slowly  walking,  arm-in-arm, 
along  the  corridor  upon  which  the  dormitories 
opened. 

"To  our  room,"  Lucita  replied.  "I  must  change 
my  dress  right  away,  because  the  first  bell  will  ring 
in  a  few  minutes.  Besides,  my  books  are  all  in 
there.      Who  is  with  the  new  girl,  Arcadia?  " 

"  Nobody  but  the  matron.  She  went  in  after 
she  had  sent  Macedonio  off  to  market,  and  she 
told  the  girls  to  be  quiet  on  this  side  of  the  court, 
because  Ninfa  has  a  headache.  That  is  her  name, 
Ninfa  Barreda." 

Notwithstanding  Arcadia's  advice,  Lucita  quietly 
pushed  open  the  door  of  a  long  room  before  which 
they  had  paused  as  Arcadia  spoke  the  last  words. 
In  obedience  to  the  matron's  wishes  the  other  girls 
remained  outside,  much  as  they  would  have  liked 
to  enter  and  see  what  Lucita  would  do-  when  the 
senorita  should  order  her  out  again.  But  the  se- 
norita did  nothing  of  the  kind.  Lucita  walked 
noiselessly  toward  her  own  bed  at  the  farther  end 
of  the  room,  and  with  only  a  whispered  "Buenos 
dios/"  to  the  lady  as  she  passed  her. 


124      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

The  new  scholar,  Ninfa,  lay  asleep  at  last  in  an- 
other little  bed,  exactly  like  the  seven  others  ranged 
along  the  wall  of  the  dormitory.  This  bed  was 
about  half-way  down  the  room  and  therefore  at 
some  distance  from  Lucita's.  The  matron  of  the 
school  sat  on  a  chair  at  Ninfa's  side,  looking  with 
pity  down  upon  the  pale  and  swollen  face  upon  the 
hard,  round  pillow. 

While  Lucita  was  exchanging  her  lawn  dress  for 
one  of  plain  brown  calico,  the  first  school  bell 
clanged  through  the  court,  and  for  a  moment  or 
two  changed  the  usual  quiet  of  the  hour  into  a 
brazen  uproar.  This  was  followed  by  a  skurrying 
of  little  high-heeled  shoes  from  all  sides  into  dor- 
mitories for  books  and  slates,  to  the  fountain's  side 
for  last  sips  of  water,  and  in  and  out  of  the  school- 
room doors.  Quiet  reigned  again  before  Lucita 
was  quite  ready  to  leave  the  dormitory,  and  as  she 
gathered  up  her  last  book  and  was  tiptoeing  toward 
another  door  nearer  her  corner,  a  burst  of  singing 
sounded  from  across  the  court. 

"  Lucita,  wait  a  minute,  my  dear,"  the  Senorita 
Berta  said  in  an  undertone.  "  I  want  to  speak  to 
you." 

The  lady  had  approached  and  now  laid  her  hand 
on  the  girl's  arm  to  arrest  her  as  she  was  hurrying 
out. 

"  If  you  will  stay  here  in  the  dormitory  with  this 
poor  child,  Lucita,  I  will  ask  the  teachers  to  excuse 


Americanos  of  saltillo  12$ 

you  from  recitations  for  an  hour  or  two,''  she  said. 
"  Poor  girl,  she  is  really  ill  this  morning,  and  I 
should  be  sorry  for  her  to  wake  suddenly  and  find 
herself  alone  in  here,  where  all  is  so  different  from 
what  she  has  been  accustomed  to." 

"  Has  she  been  used  to  anything  better  than 
this?"  Lucita  asked  wonderingly,  glancing  over 
her  shoulder  down  the  neatly  arranged  room  with 
its  clean  little  beds,  its  chair  for  each  bed,  and  its 
candlestand  at  each  end  of  the  room. 

"Well,  yes,"  was  the  reply,  while  the  lady  looked 
affectionately  into  Lucita's  grave  eyes.  "You  think 
this  room  is  good  enough  for  anybody,  do  you  not? 
and  so  do  I.  But  I  may  tell  you,  Lucita,  for  you 
are  kind  and  thoughtful,  that  this  girl  has  probably 
never  before  been  in  so  poor  a  place,  and  though 
she  is  genuinely  homesick  for  her  grandmother,  she 
really  suffers  in  part  because  she  is  not  so  comfort- 
able here  as  she  would  be  at  home.  I  think  you 
can  help  me  about  her  if  you  will  try,  because  you 
will  know  better  than  I  what  to  say  to  her  when 
she  wakes.  I  will  go  now  and  speak  to  the  Se- 
fiorita  Dora  and  ask  her  permission  for  you  to  study 
here.  You  may  take  your  books  to  Ninfa's  bed  if 
you  like.  At  recess,  if  she  is  awake,  the  girls  may 
of  course  come  in  and  out  as  usual.  I  only  wanted 
quiet  this  morning  so  that  she  might  sleep  a  little. 
It  will  do  her  good  to  mix  with  the  girls  as  soon  as 
possible  after  she  is  rested." 


126  THE   SENORA's    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

Somewhat  loth  to  accept  the  charge  given  her, 
Lucita  watched  the  senorita  cross  the  sunny  court 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  corridor  and  disappear 
within  the  schoolroom  door.  Then  she  turned 
away  and  walked  slowly  with  her  books  still  in  her 
arms  toward  the  chair  the  matron  had  left,  at 
Ninfa's  bedside.  She  laid  all  but  one  of  her  books 
behind  her,  on  Luz  Coiro's  bed,  and  then  tried  to 
interest  herself  in  the  lesson  for  the  day  from  the 
" Historia  Patria"  in  her  hand. 

Lucita  was  a  little  indignant  at  this  commotion 
caused  by  the  new  arrival.  She  was  a  girl  who 
liked  doing  things  by  rule  and  as  they  were  done 
every  day.  As  she  sat  now,  holding  the  fat  little 
history  before  her  eyes,  she  knew  exactly  what  was 
being  done,  minute  by  minute,  in  the  different 
schoolrooms  over  the  way.  She  herself  should 
have  been  sitting  on  one  of  the  high  benches  at 
the  far  end  of  the  large  room  whose  doors  opened 
on  the  corridor,  preparing  her  lesson  for  a  recita- 
tion in  one  of  the  back  rooms  looking  out  on  the 
corral,  with  its  high  adobe  walls. 

All  around  the  room  little  girls  were  seated, 
elbow  to  elbow,  and  perhaps  studying,  until  their 
turn  should  come  to  form  a  half-moon  about  the 
Senorita  Dora,  whose  trim  little  figure  occupied  the 
teacher's  chair  at  the  other  end  of  the  room.  In 
one  of  the  back  rooms  the  Senorita  Julia  would  go 
on,  hour  after  hour,  during  the   morning  session, 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  127 

hearing  the  classes  of  older  girls  as  they  would  go 
to  her  at  the  striking  of  the  Sefiorita  Dora's  bell. 
Here  the  great  wooden  shutters  of  the  corral  win- 
dows would  be  thrown  wide  open  to  let  the  warm 
outer  air  enter  and  take  the  chill  from  the  damp 
and  shady  room.  The  blackboard  would  fill  with 
figures,  the  globes  would  spin  round  and  round, 
and  the  chalk  dust  settle  whitely  over  heads  of 
glossy  black  hair  and  varnished  desk  lids.  In  an- 
other back  room  the  Mexican  teacher  would  in- 
struct his  classes  with  all  the  fervor  of  purest 
Spanish  and  in  his  good-natured  way  allow  the 
girls  to  chat  amicably  among  themselves. 

The  blue  sky,  striped  by  the  black  window  bars, 
would  grow  pale  in  the  light  of  the  mounting  sun, 
until  the  strokes  of  the  noon  hour  should  crash 
from  the  cathedral  towers  and  the  court  again  fill 
with  laughing  girls  and  their  chatter. 

In  the  afternoon  the  sefioritas  would  exchange 
places,  Julia  remaining  with  the  younger  children, 
and  those  older  ones  who  were  preparing  lessons, 
while  Dora  would  occupy  a  third  back  room,  to 
teach  the  beauties  of  the  English  language. 

Lucita  let  her  book  fall  into  her  lap.  Would  she 
be  expected  to  spend  the  whole  day  sitting  beside 
this  hysterical  girl  ?  Was  she  to  miss  the  delight- 
ful map-drawing  of  Monday  mornings,  and  her 
favorite  English  study  in  the  afternoon  ?  She  gave 
a  searching  glance  at  the  sleeping  face  and  then 


I2&  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

softly  laid  her  hand  upon  the  cover  tightly  tucked 
about  Ninfa's  shoulders.  There  was  no  response 
to  the  touch,  for  though  Ninfa  had  started  and 
moaned  slightly  as  the  loud-voiced  bell  had  sounded 
for  prayers,  Lucita's  touch  did  not  disturb  her  at 
all. 

Now  and  then  a  sobbing  catch  in  her  breathing 
reminded  Lucita  of  her  little  brother's  disturbed 
sleep  after  a  severe  attack  of  some  infantile  ail- 
ment. 

An  hour  passed.  A  recess  of  five  minutes  filled 
the  corridor  on  the  other  side  with  the  murmur  of 
voices,  then  quiet  reigned  as  before. 

Lucita,  by  degrees,  almost  forgot  her  surround- 
ings in  studying  the  day's  English  lesson.  It 
seemed  to  her  very  wonderful  that,  by  pronouncing 
the  strange  words,  "  Education  is  a  great  benefit  to 
the  human  race,"  she  should  be  only  stating  so 
simple  a  truth  as  that  "La  education  es  de  gran 
prov echo  para  la  raza  humana." 

How  fascinating  it  was  to  be  learning  to  speak 
sentences  of  real  sense  and  meaning  in  the  English 
language  !  Even  the  talk  of  the  sefioritas  among 
themselves,  which  months  ago  had  seemed  like  silly 
jargon  in  her  ears,  was  now  beginning  to  be  here 
and  there  intelligible,  because  of  the  new  words 
she  was  learning  each  day  in  the  English  class. 

While  she  was  still  practising  the  pronunciation 
of  the  hard  word,  "  education,"  which  was  spelled 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  120, 

so  nearly  like  " education"  yet  pronounced  so  dif- 
ferently, a  deep  sigh  rose  from  the  pillow  at  her 
side,  and  Ninfa  opened  her  eyes.  For  a  second  or 
two  each  girl  looked  at  the  other  without  speech. 
Then  Ninfa  buried  her  face  in  the  bedclothes  with 
a  woful  cry.  Lucita  tossed  her  English  grammar 
on  the  bed  and  threw  her  arms  about  the  sobbing 
girl 

"  What  is  it,  pobrecita  fl  Does  your  head  ache? 
Can  I  do  anything  for  you,  Ninfa  Barreda?"  she 
asked,  at  intervals.  "  Have  you  had  any  break- 
fast?" she  added,  suddenly  guessing  rightly,  that 
the  sefiorita  had  been  unable  to  induce  Ninfa  to 
eat  a  mouthful. 

"  I  want  nothing,"  Ninfa  answered  chokingly, 
though  she  turned  her  face  toward  Lucita  now, 
and  pushed  her  tumbled  hair  from  her  face  with  a 
weary  gesture. 

"  Promise  me  not  to  cry  while  I  am  gone,  and  I 
will  go  and  get  you  a  cup  of  coffee,"  Lucita  said, 
patting  her  on  the  shoulder.  "The  Sefiorita  Berta 
will  let  me  have  it  for  you,  nice  and  hot,  and  then 
you  will  feel  better.  Promise  me,"  she  added  with 
playful  firmness.  "  I  shall  not  leave  you  unless 
you  do." 

"But  I  do  not  wish  coffee,  nor  anything  else," 
Ninfa  persisted,  the  corners  of  her  mouth  curving 
into  a  smile  however. 

1  Poor  little  thing. 


I3O  THE    SENORA S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"Promise,"  Lucita  insisted  quietly. 

Ninfa  hereupon  rebelled  at  this  strange  girl's 
obstinacy,  as  she  considered  it,  and  withdrew  her- 
self petulantly  to  the  outer  edge  of  the  bed  where 
she  lay  watching  her  companion  with  dry  eyes 
a  little  dulled  from  want  of  sleep  and  many  tears. 

Lucita  opened  her  grammar  and  began  to  study 
as  if  nothing  had  happened.  She  was  not  accus- 
tomed to  being  withstood  in  this  manner,  for  in  the 
school  her  word  was  as  law  among  all  the  younger 
girls,  who  were  seldom  slow  to  learn  that  Lucita's 
commands  always  worked  out  their  own  pleasure 
and  success  far  better  than  plans  for  themselves 
could  do.  This  girl  must  surely  be  much  younger 
than  herself,  for  she  looked  very  small  as  she  lay 
curled  up  under  the  bedclothes,  yet  her  wide  eyes 
were  already  looking  defiance  into  her  face. 

Something  in  the  intensity  of  Ninfa' s  regard  drew 
Lucita's  attention  from  her  book.  She  turned  again 
to  Ninfa,  exclaiming  cheerfully  : 

"Come  dear,  why  do  you  not  get  up?  I  think 
you  will  feel  better  if  you  do.  Of  course  I  cannot 
force  you  to  drink  coffee,  if  you  do  not  wish  it,  but 
I  can  help  you  to  dress  yourself." 

"  I  cannot  dress  without  Maria,"  Ninfa  pouted. 
"  I  wanted  mama  to  send  her  with  me,  but  she  said 
I  must  learn  to  take  care  of  myself.  Oh  dear  !  I 
wish  I  was  at  home.  Every  thing  is  poor  and  mean 
here  and  I  do  not  like  it." 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  I  3  I 

Lucita's  uplifted  head,  and  the  sudden  grave 
look  that  came  into  her  face  arrested  Ninfa  as  she 
was  about  to  enter  upon  another  sobbing  fit. 

44  Was  I  impolite?"  she  asked  softly,  sitting  up 
in  bed  the  better  to  peer  into  Lucita's  face,  which 
in  despair  was  bent  over  her  book  again.  "  I  did 
not  mean  to  be  impolite,  but  it  is  so  different 
here." 

"It  is  cool  and  clean,  I  am  sure,"  Lucita  said 
loyally;  "and  schoolgirls  do  not  need  fine  things  in 
their  rooms  if  they  come  to  school  to  study,  the 
Sefiorita  Julia  says." 

"  But  the  comida"  l  Ninfa  continued  discontent- 
edly. "  You  were  not  here  last  night,  were  you  ? 
I  know  I  did  not  see  you  in  here  at  bedtime.  The 
supper  was  nothing  in  the  world  but  tortillas1  and 
frijoles?  with  coffee,  and  at  the  end  one  little  ba- 
nana apiece.  I  shall  starve,  I  know.  But  I  sup- 
pose you  are  accustomed  to  it.  Where  were  you 
last  night?" 

"At  my  home,"  Lucita  replied  briefly. 

"Oh!  you  have  a  home  in  Saltillo  then,  and  can 
get  away  from  school  whenever  you  like.  But  isn't 
it  very  hard  to  leave  your  home  and  come  back  here 
again?"  Ninfa  asked  confidentially. 

"  It  is  hard  to  leave  my  family,  but  I  am  glad  to 
be  again  in  the  institute,"  was  the  reply.  "But, 
Ninfa,  if  you  are  not  going  to  get  up  and  dress, 

1  Food.  2  Corn  cakes.  3  Beans. 


132-  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

you  must  not  keep  talking  to  me,  because  I  must 
study  my  lessons.  Lie  down  and  go  to  sleep 
again." 

''What  is  your  name,  girl?"  Ninfa  asked  ab- 
ruptly, paying  no  heed  to  Lucita's  words. 

"Luz  Rubio;  but  every  one  calls  me  Lucita." 

"  I  shall  call  you  Luz,  not  Lucita,"  Ninfa  an- 
nounced. 

"Why?"  Lucita  asked,  with  a  wondering  look  at 
this  impetuous  little  creature. 

"  Because  Luz  is  the  prettiest  name  in  the  world 
for  a  girl,"  Ninfa  replied. 

"  I  like  Ninfa  better,"  Lucita  said,  closing  her 
book  with  a  sigh.  She  saw  that  there  would  be 
no  more  studying  for  her  until  her  post  should  be 
relieved. 

"I  had  a  little  sister  named  Luz,"  Ninfa  went  on. 
"She  died  when  she  was  eighteen  months  old. 
We  were  twins,  and  she  would  be  my  best  friend  if 
she  had  lived.  I  have  so  many  things  to  tell  a 
sister,  if  I  had  one,  but  there  is  nobody  at  all  now 
but  mama  and  the  servants,  and — Justo,"  she 
added  with  a  smile  and  a  blush. 

Perhaps  in  her  own  mind  another  name  took  the 
place  of  the  priest's.  But  then,  she  had  no  sister 
to  whom  she  might  tell  "the  truth,  the  whole  truth, 
and  nothing  but  the  truth,"  and  it  would  not  have 
done  to  be  hinting  at  secrets  so  soon  to  this 
strange  girl  who,  in  Ninfa's  opinion,   was  inclined 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  I  33 

to  be  severe,  and  who  had  possibly  never  had  a 
lover. 

"Was  your  little  sister  like  you?"  Lucita  asked. 

"Not  a  bit,"  Ninfa  replied  readily.  "Mama  has 
often  told  me  about  her.  Her  eyes  were  gray  and 
her  hair  was  light,  and  her  skin  was  not  brown  like 
mine.  You  too  are  fair,  Luz ;  and  do  they  call  you 
huerita,  as  mama  did  my  little  sister?  " 

"Sometimes,"  Lucita  admitted  ;  "but  I  like  black 
eyes  and  hair  best.  We  have  another  Luz  in  our 
dormitory,"  she  continued.  "  Her  father  was  an 
Italian,  but  her  mother  is  a  Mexican.  I  think  you 
will  like  little  Luz.  She  is  very  pretty,  and  her 
mother  dresses  her  beautifully  and  gives  her  a  great 
deal  of  money  to  spend." 

"  I  like  you  best,"  Ninfa  admitted,  to  Lucita's 
great  surprise.  "And  you  need  not  think  that  I 
am  going  to  keep  with  the  little  girls  if  I  am  small. 
I  am  seventeen  years  old  and  will  be  eighteen  next 
January.      How  old  are  you,  Luz?  " 

"I  also  will  be  eighteen  next  year,"  Luz  replied. 
"  I  thought  you  were  about  fourteen,  Ninfa.  Per- 
haps then  you  will  be  in  my  classes.  Do  you  know 
any  English  yet  ?  ' ' 

"  Not  one  word,"  said  Ninfa  apprehensively. 
"And  I  suppose  such  a  great,  tali  girl  as  you,  is 
a  long  way  ahead  of  me  in  everything.  You  ought 
to  be,  I  am  sure.  Now  I  am  going  to  dress,  be- 
cause if  I  stay  in  bed  you  will  study  some  more 


134      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

and  try  to  keep  me  from  talking.  Will  you  please 
put  on  my  shoes  and  stockings  for  me?  " 

Lucita  stared  in  amazement  at  this  unexpected 
request  and  was  no  less  surprised,  a  few  moments 
afterward,  to  find  herself  on  her  knees  beside  the 
bed,  executing  the  demand  put  upon  her.  It 
seemed  very  easy  for  this  small  person  to  com- 
mand, and,  strange  to  say,  an  easy  thing  also  to 
obey,  when  there  was  nothing  more  required  than 
the  clothing  of  the  two  pretty  little  feet  swinging 
over  the  edge  of  the  bed. 

Ninfa's  whole  toilette  had  been  completed  with 
Lucita's  active  assistance,  when  the  matron  entered 
the  dormitory  a  while  later,  to  relieve  Lucita.  She 
had  brought  a  baker's  roll  and  a  cup  of  coffee  on  a 
tray  for  Ninfa's  breakfast,  and  this  time  the  refresh- 
ments were  not  refused.  Lucita's  willing  ministra- 
tions had  restored  much  of  Ninfa's  usual  good 
spirits,  and  the  matron  smiled  to  herself  at  the  sight 
of  the  girl's  innocent  assumption  of  the  right  to  com- 
mand over  Lucita,  who  was  usually  slow  to  yield  a 
certain  innocent  self-importance  to  any  one. 

When  Lucita  was  fully  released  from  her  novel 
duties  as  maid,  Ninfa  begged  that  she  might  ac- 
company her  wherever  she  should  go.  So  to  the 
schoolroom  she  went,  at  Lucita's  side,  and  there  she 
remained,  contented  and  open-eyed,  during  the 
rest  of  the  morning  session. 


IV 


THERE  was  too  much  of  novelty  and  interest 
in  the  new  life  to  allow  the  indulgence  of 
continued  homesickness  on  Ninfa's  part,  and  the 
Senora  Barreda,  her  grandmother,  would  have  been 
astonished  at  the  ease  with  which  her  pet  adapted 
herself  to  her  changed  circumstances.  It  is  true 
that  Ninfa  at  first  rebelled  audibly  against  taking 
her  turn  at  washing  face,  neck,  and  hands  in  one 
of  the  three  tin  basins  with  which  the  dormitory 
was  provided.  She  did  not  enjoy  spattering  her 
shoes  at  the  hydrant  beside  the  fountain  while 
drawing  her  own  water  for  this  morning  bath,  nor 
would  she  trot  across  the  court  to  the  fountain 
with  bare  feet,  to  save  her  shoes  and  stockings 
from  the  wetting. 

On  the  second  morning  the  breakfast  bell  had 
rung  before  the  helpless  child  had  half  combed 
her  long  hair,  and  she  had  hastily  wound  her 
rebozo  about  her  head,  hoping  the  senoritas  would 
not  detect  this  evasion  of  one  of  the  strict  rules  of 
the  school. 

When  the  Senorita  Dora,  to  whose  table  both 
Lucita  and  Ninfa  belonged,  saw  this  closely 
shrouded  head  in  the  midst  of  the  dozen  others 

i35 


I36  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

bare  and  glossy,  a  sharp  reprimand  rose  to  her 
lips.  Then  she  remembered  that  Ninfa  was  as  yet 
strange  to  the  ways  of  the  place,  and  contented 
herself  with  gently  laying  her  hand  on  the  girl's 
head  for  a  moment,  saying  kindly,  though  firmly : 

"  To-morrow,  Ninfa,  you  must  rise  earlier,  so 
that  you  may  be  ready  for  breakfast.  I  cannot 
excuse  you  a  second  time  if  you  come  to  breakfast 
uncombed.  We  do  not  allow  coffee  to  those  who 
come  to  the  table  with  imperfect  toilettes." 

Something  of  injured  helplessness  in  Ninfa's  face 
touched  Lucita,  who  sat  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  table.  She  herself  was  so  particular  to  keep 
all  the  rules,  and  she  had  been  for  so  long  a  pupil 
of  the  school,  that  she  was  little  disposed  to  sym- 
pathize with  slackness  in  others.  Therefore,  she 
was  surprised  at  herself  when  she  felt  a  wave  of 
pity  sweep  away  her  disapproval  of  Ninfa's  slow- 
ness and  fine-ladyism.  Though  she  knew  now, 
as  well  as  she  had  known  it  before  the  sefiorita's 
warning,  that  Ninfa  had  been  up  a  long  hour 
before  breakfast  and  had  taken  no  part  in  the 
cleaning  of  the  dormitory,  save  the  careless  spread- 
ing up' of  her  own  bed,  Lucita  found  herself,  after 
that  look  across. the  table,  more  than  willing  to 
make  excuses  for  her  companion. 

"  I'll  help  her  do  her  hair  every  morning,"  she 
thought.  "The  poor  child  eats  so  little  of  our 
comida  that  she  cannot  do  without  her  coffee." 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  I  37 

From  that  time  on  Lucita,  the  dignified  and  de- 
pendable, became  the  slave  and  familiar  friend  of 
Ninfa,  the  wayward  and  spoiled. 

The  teachers  approved  of  the  intimacy,  for  it 
would  do  sober  Lucita  good,  they  affirmed,  to  be 
shaken  up  now  and  then  by  the  caprices  of  the 
lively  southern  girl,  and  it  was  truly  wonderful  to 
see  how  soon  Lucita's  rare  laugh  became  more 
and  more  frequent,  and  how  it  began  to  share  in 
the  melody  peculiar  to  Ninfa's. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  larger  girl's  influence 
over  the  smaller  was  all  that  could  be  desired. 
Ninfa  had  ere  long  bewitched  Arcadia  into  ex- 
changing beds  with  her,  so  that  she  might  sleep 
beside  Lucita,  and  though  the  allotted  feet  of  space 
might  intervene  between  the  two  beds  during  the 
daytime,  it  was  otherwise  at  night.  After  the 
monitor  of  the  dormitory  had  extinguished  the 
two  candles  allowed  for  the  going  to  bed,  Lucita, 
each  night,  would  push  the  two  beds  close  together, 
and  the  two  girls  would  sleep  side  by  side,  often 
with  hands  clasped  and  both  heads,  the  black  and 
the  brown,  lying  upon  one  pillow. 

With  this  care  surrounding  her,  Ninfa  was  stim- 
ulated, during  that  first  week,  to  do  her  best  in 
studying  the  simple  branches  belonging  to  her  class 
in  school.  She  was  in  reality  much  chagrined  at 
finding  herself  so  far  behind  Lucita  and  most  of 
the  other  girls  of  her  own  age.      For  two  or  three 


I38  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

days  she  was  inclined  to  sulk  at  the  idea  of  being 
classed  with  ten-year-old  Luz  Coiro  and  others  of 
the  younger  children.  Her  naturally  easy  disposi- 
tion, assisted  by  Lucita's  sympathetic  encourage- 
ment, prevailed  here,  however,  and  the  week  had 
not  passed  before  she  was  interested  in  the  new 
method  of  study  observed  in  the  school,  and  com- 
pletely enthralled  by  the  fascinations  of  the  piano. 
Housework  was  the  sorest  of  all  trials  to  the 
luxuriously  reared  Ninfa.  Though  Macedonio, 
the  porter  and  man-of-all-work,  when  not  too  lazy, 
drenched  the  court  and  corridors  with  water  from 
the  fountain  in  the  early  morning  of  each  day,  the 
girls  sprinkled  their  own  dormitories,  and  little  of 
the  dust  of  the  unpaved  street  outside  found  its 
way  into  this  inner  row  of  rooms.1  Ninfa  had  to 
yield  to  public  sentiment  in  the  matter  of  taking 
her  share  in  the  daily  sweeping  and  sprinkling  of 
the  dormitory,  and  the  queer,  little  hard  places, 
which  had  followed  the  blisters  made  upon  the 
palms  of  her  hand  by  her  first  day's  use  of  the 
broom,  were  sources  of  great  affliction  to  her. 
She  was  glad  that  they  were  not  visible  while  she 
stretched  her  small  hands  over  the  piano  keys. 
These  hands  were  shapely  and  smooth  enough, 
barring  the  tiny  callouses,  which  Lucita  assured 
her  would   disappear  after   a  time,  but   they  were 

1  For  interior  arrangement  of  Madero  Institute,  see  Appendix 
II.,  at  close  of  book. 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 39 

undeniably  brown,  no  matter  how  clean  she  kept 
them.  Lucita's  were  much  fairer,  as  fair  as  the 
Senorita  Julia's,  Ninfa  thought,  and  yet  Lucita 
had  no  desire  to  learn  to  play  the  piano. 

Notwithstanding  the  corns  and  the  despised  tint 
of  Ninfa's  hands,  they  became  more  useful  and 
busy  little  members  than  they  had  ever  been  in 
the  grandmother's  house,  and  Ninfa  herself  grew 
as  contented  as  were  all  the  other  girls  in  that  hive 
of  busy,  happy  bees. 

Don  Justo,  the  priest,  had  been  right  in  his  con- 
clusion that  no  compulsion  was  needed  to  induce 
most  of  the  boarders  to  attend  Sunday  services  in 
the  Protestant  mission  church  on  the  plaza  of  San 
Francisco.  It  is  true  that  there  were  a  few  among 
the  older  girls  who  occasionally  chose  to  remain  at 
home  rather  than  accompany  the  others.  These 
were  always  Roman  Catholics,  who  may  have  been 
visited  now  and  then  by  qualms  of  conscience  as 
to  the  propriety  of  conforming  to  the  Protestant 
forms  of  worship.  Yet  this  staying  at  home  was 
found  to  be  a  poor  exchange  for  the  brisk  walk,  in 
line,  through  the  fresh  mountain  air  sweeping  the 
streets  at  the  hour  for  Sunday-school,  and  the 
pleasing  excitement  of  the  passage  of  the  plaza 
whose  benches  were  filled  with  staring  citizens  or 
students  from  the  State  College  opposite  the  church. 
No  fancy-work  was  allowed   on   Sunday,   nor  the 


I40      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

study  of  any  school-book,  and  one  could  not  sleep 
all  the  morning,  after  baths  and  breakfast  had  dis- 
persed any  lingering  desire   for  such   indulgence. 

Ninfa  was  not  a  little  troubled  when  her  first 
Sunday  arrived  at  finding  that  there  would  be  no 
one  to  accompany  her  to  mass  in  the  cathedral. 

"  I  cannot  possibly  go  alone,"  she  said  to  Lucita, 
who  was  brushing  her  hair  before  breakfast. 

"Of  course  not,"  Lucita  answered. 

"  Then  what  shall  I  do,  Luz  ?  Padre  Manuel 
said  that  I  must  never  fail  to  go  to  mass  at  least 
once  a  week.  He  will  be  very  much  displeased  if 
I  write  to  mama  that  I  cannot  go;  yet  even  he 
would  not  expect  me  to  go  into  the  streets  alone." 

"  I  do  not  suppose  your  grandmother  thought 
that  you  would  go  to  mass  from  this  school  when 
she  sent  you  here,  Ninfa,"  Lucita  replied.  "No 
one  goes,  you  know." 

"  Yet  many  of  the  boarders  are  Roman  Catholics, 
Luz.  They  have  told  me  so,  and  how  they  hate 
to  have  to  go  always  to  the  church  of  the  protes- 
tantes  if  they  go  anywhere.  Valgame  Dios,1  how 
you  are  pulling  my  hair !  You  need  not  get  angry 
even  if  you  are  a  Protestant,  Luz  Rubio." 

Lucita  continued  a  vigorous  use  of  the  brush 
without  reply,  while  Ninfa  went  on  with  her  mur- 
murings.      They  were   seated    on    the   stone   step 

1  An  oath  universally  employed  to  express  sudden  surprise  or 
chagrin. 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  I4I 

surrounding  the  fountain  basin,  and  there  was  no 
one  near  them  at  the  moment,  as  it  was  still  early 
and  not  all  the  girls  were  out  of  their  beds.  The 
rising  bell  was  a  little  more  indulgent  on  Sunday 
mornings,  for  the  busy  services  of  the  day  to 
follow  did  not  give  the  perfect  rest  of  an  idle  day. 

"I  wish  I  were  like  you,  Luz,"  said  Ninfa,  after 
a  little,  submitting  with  unusual  patience  to  Lucita's 
ardor  with  the  brush.  "You  have  a  home  here  in 
Saltillo  and  can  go  there  every  fifteen  days.  Next 
Sunday  you  will  be  at  home  and  I  shall  be  alone. 

"You  will  have  Arcadia  and  Angela  and  the 
others,  your  Roman  Catholic  friends,"  Lucita  re- 
plied, a  little  ungraciously. 

Yet  she  was  not  pleased  with  herself  for  the 
sudden  flare  of  anger  she  had  felt  at  Ninfa's  al- 
lusion to  her  being  a  Protestant.  It  had  seemed 
to  come  from  Ninfa  as  an  intimation  of  inferiority, 
and  rich  as  she  knew  Ninfa  to  be,  and  pampered 
as  to  this  world's  goods,  she  had  hitherto  taken 
comfort  to  herself  in  the  knowledge  that  her  own 
mental  capacity  and  attainments  more  than  equal- 
ized matters  between  them.  Besides,  she  had  been 
for  so  long  connected  with  the  Americans  of  the 
school,  and  so  large  a  majority  of  the  pupils  were 
those  favoring,  if  not  adopting,  the  Protestant  doc- 
trine, that  she  had  hardly  realized  that  her  faith 
might  belittle  her  in  the  eyes  of  the  world.  It 
was  a  delightful  world  to  which  Ninfa's  artless  con- 


142      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

fidence  had  been  introducing  her  during  the  past 
week.  Ninfa's  people  knew  nothing  of  her  re- 
ligious faith  and  blindly  considered  all  that  her 
dear  sefioritas  could  teach  her  i  as  perversions  of 
the  truth,  if  not  downright  lies.  While  "the 
world's"  mistake  could  not  alter  her  belief  in 
what  she  knew  to  be  the  truth  of  God,  she  was 
conscious  of  a  new  feeling  in  her  heart  that  had 
never  been  there  before  Ninfa's  prattle  had  em- 
phasized the  difference  between  them,  and  had 
proved  the  fact  that  no  one  with  her  strange  ideas 
could  have  a  place  in  Ninfa  Barreda's  world. 

Yet  she  was  ashamed  and  grieved  that  she 
should  have  been  even  the  least  bit  angry  with 
Ninfa  over  such  a  subject,  and  her  ungracious  reply 
was  followed  by  a  complete  change  of  manner. 

"You  darling  child,"  she  cried,  dropping  the 
brush  and  clasping  Ninfa  in  her  arms.  "You  do 
love  me  best,  don't  you  ?  And  I  shall  not  give 
you  to  any  of  them,  Catholic  or  Protestant.  For- 
give me,  little  one,  for  being  angry  with  you." 

"Why,  you  only  pulled  my  hair,"  Ninfa  replied 
wonderingly. 

"  My  fingers  only  pulled  your  hair,"  Lucita  said 
quaintly ;  "  but  a  great  black  cloud  came  into  my 
heart  for  a  minute,  and  Somebody  was  sorry.  He 
saw  it,  if  you  did  not." 

"Who?  "  Ninfa  asked,  staring  at  Lucita  with  her 
great  eyes  shining  through  her  waving  hair. 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 43 

"Never  mind,"  Lucita  replied  shyly.  "It  is  all 
gone  now  and  he  knows.      It  is  all  right." 

"Was  it  a  man — your  lover?  Oh,  Luz  mia, 
have  you  a  lover  too,  and  have  never  told  me  about 
him?"  Ninfa  asked  reproachfully. 

"  Hush  !  "  Lucita  commanded.  "  Oh,  Ninfa, 
Ninfa,  how  much  you  have  to  learn!"  she  con- 
tinued in  a  softened  tone.  "  If  you  were  my 
little  sister,  how  gladly  I  would  teach  you  about 
our  Father,  and  about  Jesus." 

"You  are  a  strange  girl,  Luz,"  Ninfa  said,  part- 
ing the  hair  from  her  eyes  and  catching  up  the 
brush  which  Lucita  had  let  fall  on  the  stones. 
"  Why  do  you  say  '  our  father '  ?  You  know  that 
my  father  is  dead,  and  yours  cannot  be  mine. 
Besides,  your  hermanilo  is  named  Pepito,  not  Jesus.1 
But  if  you  do  wish  to  tell  me  about  your  father, 
take  me  home  with  you  next  time  you  go,  dear 
Luz.  Then  I  shall  know  more  than  you  can  tell 
me. 

Again  a  shadow  fell  over  Lucita's  spirits.  What 
would  Ninfa  think  of  such  a  home  as  hers  ?  But 
she  must  hasten  and  explain  to  this  ardent  child 
what  she  had  really  meant,  lest  more  mistakes 
should  follow. 

"  Listen,  Ninfa,"  she  said  solemnly.  "You  have 
not  understood  me.  God  is  the  Father  of  whom  I 
was   speaking,   and    Jesus  is  the   Christ,   his   Son. 

1  Jesus  is  a  very  common  name  in  Mexico. 


144  THE   SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

You  know  that  he  knows  all  things,  and  it  was  he 
who  was  sorry  when  I  was  cross  with  you  when  you 
spoke  of  Protestants.  I  am  glad  that  I  am  a 
Protestant,  there  !  and  I  hope  you  will  be  one  some 
day." 

"  Never  in  this  world,"  Ninfa  cried,  horror- 
stricken.  "And  do  you  know,  Luz,  that  is  the 
only  thing  I  do  not  like* about  you." 

"Yes,  I  know  you  do  not  like  it,"  Lucita  said 
humbly ;  she  had  been  made  humble  for  that  time. 
"  But  that  does  not  make  it  wrong  to  be  a  Protes- 
tant, you  know,  Ninfa,  and  perhaps  you  will  think 
differently  about  it  some  day.  I  am  going  to  pray 
to  God  every  day  and  night  to  teach  you  the 
truth." 

"The  truth  !  "  Ninfa  repeated  musingly,  thinking 
of  the  words  of  the  missionary  teacher  in  Guada- 
lajara, who  had  also  spoken  gravely  of  "  the  truth." 
What  was  the  truth  ? 

"Luz,  I  used  to  be  afraid  of  the protestantes," 
Ninfa  said  earnestly.  "One  of  them  spoke  to  me 
once  at  home,  and  gave  me  a  card  with  words 
printed  on  it  which  she  said  were  'the  truth.'  But 
it  was  not  what  grandmother  and  I  believe.  I  am 
not  so  much  afraid  of  them  as  I  used  to  be,  now 
that  I  know  you  so  well,  but  there  are  many  things 
I  do  not  understand.  Now  why  do  they  teach  that 
the  Holy  Virgin  is  not  the  mother  of  God  ?  " 

"  Do  you  mean  to  ask  if  the  Protestants  teach 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 45 

that  Mary  was  not  Jesus  Christ's  mother,  Ninfa  ? 
But  they  do  teach  that  she  was  his  mother.  How 
could  you  have  heard  anything  else  ?  Of  course 
God  has  no  mother,  because  he  has  always  lived, 
before  men  and  women  were  created,  but  Mary 
was  the  mother  of  his  Son,  when  he  came  into 
this  world  as  a  man,  as  a  little  baby." 

"Maria  told  me  a  lie  then,"  Ninfa  said  with 
flashing  eyes.  "  Perhaps  some  of  the  other  things 
she  said  were  lies  too."  Suddenly  her  mood 
changed,  and  her  earnestness  gave  way  to  playful- 
ness and  mock  fear.  "  Oh  !  oh!"  she  cried,  "I 
have  just  thought  about  it !  Justo  told  me  to 
beware  of  wolves,  for  I  was  just  a  little  innocent 
lamb.  I  am  afraid  you  are  a  wolf,  Lucita,  and  I 
must  run  away,  or  you  will  eat  me  up.  Catch  me 
if  you  can  !" 

The  laughing  girl  sprang  to  her  feet  as  she 
spoke,  and  ran  toward  the  dormitory,  leaving 
Lucita  to  gather  up  the  comb  and  brush  and 
follow  or  not,  as  she  pleased. 

Her  heart  was  heavy  as  she  slowly  crossed  the 
court,  bent  upon  completing  her  task  of  hair-dress- 
ing. Why  could  she  not  let  this  foolish  girl  go  her 
own  way  without  such  an  ache  coming  into  her 
own  heart?  What  was  the  meaning  of  her  strange 
yearning  over  the  child  and  the  unselfish  love 
inspired  by  Ninfa  since  the  first  day  of  their  ac- 
quaintance ? 


MORE  than  three  quarters  of  a  century  before 
the  time  of  this  story,  the  foundations  of 
the  "  Old  Temple  "  were  just  being  laid  opposite 
the  plaza  of  San  Francisco.  Slowly  its  walls  rose 
above  the  solid  foundation  stones,  the  country 
people  for  leagues  around  Saltillo  being  required 
by  the  priests  to  bring  with  them  material  for 
building  every  time  they  entered  the  city.  After 
five  years  of  work,  more  or  less  spasmodic,  those 
who  had  the  matter  in  hand  grew  tired  of  building, 
and  the  unfinished  church  was  left  to  the  mercy  of 
the  sun,  rain,  and  wind  for  many  years.  Some  who 
saw  it  at  this  stage,  even  after  fifty  years  of  neglect, 
tell  in  glowing  terms  of  the  beauty  of  its  classic 
style,  and  of  the  marvelous  carving  of  the  fagade. 

Though  simply  in  a  state  of  "  arrested  develop- 
ment," the  "Old  Temple"  ere  long  acquired  the 
appearance  of  a  roofless  ruin,  and  came  to  be  con- 
sidered as  such  by  the  town.  About  the  time  of 
the  purchase  of  the  Montez  property  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  girls'  boarding  school,  the  unfin- 
ished "Old  Temple  "  also  attracted  the  eye  of  those 
interested  in  the  school. 

By  this  time  all  the  church  property  of  Mexico 
146 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  1 47 

belonged  to  the  government,  in  accordance  with 
the  edict  of  confiscation  of  1857,  introduced  by 
President  Juarez,  and  under  the  Mexican  law  which 
forbids  the  city  or  State  to  hold  property  unim- 
proved for  public  use,  they  were  able  to  effect  the 
purchase  of  the  "Old  Temple."  It  was  the  inten- 
tion of  the  purchasers  to  rejuvenate  and  complete 
the  substantial  old  building  and  convert  it  into  a 
Protestant  temple  for  the  worship  of  God.  The 
beauty  and  solidity  of  its  walls  were  beyond  criti- 
cism, and  its  situation  was  all  that  could  be  desired. 
It  fronted  the  leafy  plaza  of  San  Francisco  on  its 
eastern  side,  with  the  Catholic  Church  of  San  Fran- 
cisco as  its  only  neighbor.  The  southern  side  of 
the  plaza  was  occupied  by  the  long,  low  walls  of 
the  State  College,  while  on  the  west  and  north 
residences  of  the  middle  class  were  its  boundaries. 
The  satisfaction  of  the  agents  of  the  mission 
who  had  accomplished  the  purchase,  was  not  al- 
lowed to  continue  uninterrupted.  After  the  pur- 
chase money  had  been  paid,  and  work  was  about 
to  begin  on  the  building,  "  a  corrupt  judge  put  an 
1  injunction  '  on  the  disturbance  of  the  old  walls.  .  . 
Month  after  month,  and  year  after  year,  obstacles 
were  put  in  the  way  of  a  settlement  and  the  in- 
junction was  unremoved."  Finally  the  agent  em- 
ployed by  the  Board  of  Missions  "resolved,  as  the 
injunction  was  against  'demolishing  the  walls,'  to 
build  his  church  inside  of  the  walls,  the  area  being 


I48  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

capacious  enough  for  two  such  edifices,  and  a 
beautiful  building  was  erected,  only  the  spire  ap- 
pearing above  the  lofty  walls  of  the  'old  temple.' 
This  was  a  queer  sight,  and  turned  a  popular  laugh 
against  the  unjust  and  foolish  judge.  .  .  The 
governor  was  disgusted  with  the  court  and  finally 
became  indignant.  He  also  devised  in  favor  of 
the  truth  and  right.  He  proclaimed  the  old  walls 
a  'nuisance,'  and  'condemned'  them  as  such. 
The  next  day  by  sunrise,  sixty  men  were  on  the 
walls  with  picks  and  shovels,  by  order  of  the 
government.  That  was  a  happy  day  for  the  little 
church  of  Saltillo."  x 

The  fine  old  walls  were  soon  leveled,  leaving 
"the  gem  of  a  church,  free  from  its  bondage, 
glittering  in  the  sunlight  and  adorning  the  San 
Francisco  plaza."  Thereupon  the  public  state- 
ment was  made  that  "  the  case  was  dismissed  from 
court  because  of  lack  of  subject." 

The  little  Protestant  congregation  had  already 
been  worshiping  for  four  or  five  years  in  their 
comfortable  church  home,  when  Lucita  Rubio  first 
led  Ninfa,  the  Roman  Catholic  girl,  to  a  seat  within 
its  walls. 

Several  rooms  in  the  rear  of  the  church  were 
now  used  as  a  mission  school  for  boys,  in  charge 
of  the  pastor  of  the  church,  assisted  by  a  Mexican 

1See  "A  Decade  of  Foreign    Missions,"   by  H.  A.  Tupper, 

D.  D.,  for  history  of  this  building. 


The  gem  of  a  church 
Page  IAS. 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  1 49 

preacher.  Here  three  or  four  young  men  were  in 
active  preparation  for  the  ministry.  These  youths 
occupied  seats  together  on  the  "men's  side"  of 
the  church,  and  on  this  particular  Sunday  morning 
their  spines  straightened,  rounded  shoulders  were 
lowered,  heads  slightly  turned  toward  the  aisle, 
and  eyes  perceptibly  brightened,  as  a  measured 
tramp  of  feet  nearing  the  vestibule  in  the  tower 
announced  the  advent  of  the  institute  girls. 

The  little  girls  led  the  way,  two  by  two,  ac- 
companied by  the  Sefiorita  Julia,  and  these  pro- 
ceeded in  good  order  toward  the  front  benches 
and  took  their  allotted  seats.  Next  came  the 
middle-sized  girls  with  Sefiorita  Dora,  and  after 
small  flutters  and  nudgings,  as  became  middle- 
sized  girls,  they  disposed  themselves  in  seats  back 
of  the  younger  ones.  The  large  girls  came  last, 
attended  by  the  director's  wife  and  a  Mexican 
woman  employed  as  supervisor  at  the  school. 
Lucita  and  Ninfa  were  among  these  last,  and 
found  places  on  one  side  near  the  organ,  over 
which  one  of  the  ladies  presided  during  the  song 
service. 

On  entering  the  seat  Lucita  turned  her  head 
just  in  time  to  see  Ninfa  deliberately  kneel  in  the 
aisle  and  cross  herself  devoutly  before  following 
her  into  the  pew.  A  ripple  of  amusement  passed 
from  one  girl  to  another,  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
borhood, but  Ninfa  had  no  idea  that  the  smiles  she 


150      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

saw  as  she  took  her  seat  were  caused  by  her  inno- 
cent act  of  devotion.  Lucita's  face  burned  with 
annoyance,  but  she  said  nothing  to  Ninfa,  who  was 
gazing,  wide-eyed,  at  the  empty  walls  and  altarless 
platform.  Where  the  altar  should  have  been  was 
only  a  plain  table,  covered  with  a  red  cloth,  and  a 
stout,  splint-bottomed  chair  occupied  by  the  pastor. 

The  burst  of  music  from  all  these  young  throats, 
led  by  the  organ,  was  presently  almost  drowned  by 
the  crashing  of  the  bells  in  the  church  towers  of 
San  Francisco,  next  door.  But  the  singing  was 
repeated  again  and  again,  at  intervals,  long  after 
the  bells  had  ceased  their  clamor.  The  seats  in 
the  plaza,  opposite  the  church,  were  often  filled  at 
this  hour  by  those  who  seemed  to  delight  in  the 
melodies  borne  to  them  from  behind  the  great, 
stained-glass  window  in  the  fagade  of  the  church, 
but  who  would  not  dare  to  cross  the  threshold  of 
the  tower  entrance. 

Ninfa  was  too  much  interested  in  all  she  heard 
and  saw  to  grow  tired  of  the  double  service  of 
Sunday-school  and  sermon,  and  on  the  way  home 
she  was  full  of  questions  for  the  patient  Lucita. 

Teresa  and  the  baby  had  not  appeared  at  church 
that  morning,  and  Lucita  was  conscious  of  the 
slightest  feeling  of  relief,  mingled  with  her  dis- 
appointment, on  this  account.  She  felt  somehow 
that  she  must  prepare  Ninfa  for  her  mother,  and 
for  the  poor  little  brother.     She  was  not  ashamed 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  I  5  I 

of  them — no,  indeed,  she  loved  them  too  well  for 
that — but  she  was  not  yet  sure  that  Ninfa  would 
think  so  much  of  her  if  she  should  be  brought  to 
really  comprehend  her  friend's  true  station.  Lucita 
had  more  than  once  told  Ninfa  that  she  was  a  poor 
girl,  and  not  born  to  associate  with  one  of  her  rank, 
and  had  been  laughed  at  for  her  pains,  yet  her 
communication  had  been  received  in  too  light  a 
manner  to  assure  her  of  Ninfa' s  perfect  compre- 
hension of  the  case. 

When  the  Sunday  dinner  was  over,  there  was  an 
hour  or  so  allowed  the  girls  for  lounging  in  un- 
dress inside  the  dormitories  if  they  wished  to  rest. 
Several,  meanwhile,  received  their  relatives  in  the 
parlor,  and  others  promenaded  the  corridor  chat- 
ting or  singing. 

Lucita  lay  down  to  rest  her  back,  which  was  not 
strong,  now  that  she  was  growing  so  tall  and  slim, 
and  Ninfa  lolled  in  the  doorway  nearest  their  end 
of  the  room.  The  other  occupants  of  the  dormi- 
tory were  asleep  or  away.  Lucita  was  on  the 
brink  of  a  doze  when  she  heard  Ninfa  speaking 
in  a  hushed  voice  to  some  one  outside  the  door. 

"Yes,  Lucita  is  in  here,"  Ninfa  was  saying,  "but 
can  you  not  leave  your  message  with  me  ?  She  is 
tired  and  asleep." 

"Thank  you,  sefiorita,"  the  other  replied  in  a 
voice  well  known  to  Lucita.  "  I  will  just  sit  down 
here  and  wait  till  she  wakes.      Do  not  fear  ;   the 


152  THE    SENORA S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

baby  will  make  no  noise.  My  Lucita  will  be  glad 
to  find  us  here  when  she  wakes." 

Lucita  lay  like  a  stone,  devoid  of  sense  and 
motion,  yet  her  eyes  were  open  when  Ninfa  bent 
over  her  bed. 

"  Have  you  waked  ?  "  Ninfa  whispered.  "There 
is  a  poor  woman  out  on  the  corridor  who  wants  to 
see  you.  I  think  she  may  be  a  beggar,  Luz,  but 
she  calls  you  her  Lucita.  Shall  I  tell  her  to  go 
away  and  not  bother  you  ?  I  have  some  centavos 
in  my  pocket  and  I  will  give  them  to  the  little 
baby  in  her  arms.  That  will  satisfy  her,  and  you 
can  go  to  sleep  again." 

"  No,  do  not  send  her  away,  Ninfa,"  Lucita  said, 
with  a  strange  tightening  of  her  throat.  "  I  will 
see  her,  of  course."  She  rose  to  her  feet  and 
stood  looking  at  Ninfa  with  all  the  color  gone  from 
her  face. 

"You  are  sick,  Luz,  lie  down  again,"  Ninfa 
urged.  "The  woman  can  wait.  She  has  a  good 
face  and  is  as  clean  as  possible  ;  why  should  she 
not  come  in  here  to  you,  if  you  insist  upon  seeing 
her?" 

"It  is  against  the  rules  for  us  to  see  visitors  in 
our  rooms,  Ninfa."  Then,  with  a  change  in  her 
voice,  Lucita  exclaimed  :  "  I  am  not  sick,  but  I 
am  a  coward,  Ninfa  Barreda.  Come  out  with  me 
to  see  my  mother.  It  is  she  who  is  out  there  with 
my  hermanito,     Come,  Ninfa," 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  I  53 

The  two  girls  soon  stood  before  the  tired  woman 
who  had  seated  herself  on  the  stones  of  the  cor- 
ridor, with  Pepito  wrapped  in  her  faded  rebozo. 

"Mama,  I  am  so  glad!"  Lucita  exclaimed, 
honestly  enough  now,  and  slipped  down  to  a  seat 
beside  Teresa.  "  I  missed  you  at  church  this 
morning." 

Then  she  learned  that  Don  Luis  had  been  in 
too  much  pain  for  Teresa  to  leave  him  in  the 
morning,  but  that  he  had  dispatched  her  for  news 
of  their  daughter  as  soon  as  the  pains  had  les- 
sened. Teresa  had  been  too  timid  to  knock  at  the 
iron  gates  and  dreaded  to  enter  the  great  parlor 
where  visitors  were  already  gathered,  so  she  had 
slipped  in  through  the  half-opened  gates  and,  find- 
ing the  inner  doors  unlocked,  had  inquired  her 
way  to  Lucita's  dormitory.  This  was  her  first 
formal  visit  to  her  daughter,  as  the  helplessness  of 
her  husband  rarely  allowed  her  to  leave  home  for 
so  long  a  trip. 

Ninfa  had  taken  in  the  situation  with  much  more 
ease  than  might  have  been  expected.  Up  to  the 
time  of  her  arrival  at  the  school  she  had  been  ac- 
customed to  the  lower  classes  of  society  in  the 
capacity  of  peons,  or  as  servants  on  her  grand- 
mother's estate,  but  even  among  these  she  had 
had  companions  at  play  during  the  years  spent  at 
the  hacienda.  Her  week's  acquaintance  with  the 
democratic  spirit  of  this  school  had   still  further 


I  54  THE   SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

broadened  her  sympathies  in  this  direction,  and 
after  the  first  slight  shock  of  realizing  that  the 
aristocratic-looking  Luz  was  in  truth  the  daughter 
of  a  poor  woman,  she  wondered  no  more  over  the 
discovery. 

"Let  me  hold  the  little  bit  of  a  baby,"  she 
pleaded,  as  Lucita  took  Pepito  from  her  mother's 
arms.  "  I  have  never  had  a  real  baby  in  my  arms. 
Thank  you,  senora,  and  is  he  not  sweet?  Look, 
Luz,  he  is  smiling  at  me  and  trying  to  talk."  The 
girl  was  as  delighted  as  a  child  over  a  new  doll, 
and  had  such  a  motherly  little  way  about  her  that 
Teresa  was  charmed. 

Luz  stepped  inside  to  find  a  mat  for  her  mother 
to  sit  upon,  and  Teresa  seized  the  opportunity  to 
ask  for  the  name  of  her  daughter's  "  pretty  little 
friend." 

"Oh,  I  am  not  pretty,"  Ninfa  laughed  ;  "at  least 
not  half  so  pretty  as  Luz.  My  name  is  Ninfa 
Barreda." 

"  What ! "  Teresa  exclaimed.  "  What  is  your 
apellido?"  l 

"  Barreda,"  Ninfa  repeated.  "  I  do  not  think  it 
is  a  common  name  here.  I  come  from  the  south, 
from  Guadalajara." 

"Ah,  from  Guadalajara?  I  have  known  Bar- 
redas  myself,  owners  of  haciendas  in  the  country; 
but  you  cannot  be  one  of  them,  sefiorita?" 

1  Family  name. 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  I  5  5 

"Why  not?"  Ninfa  asked.  "  My  grandfather 
was  a  ranch  owner,  and  sometimes  even  now  we  go 
to  El  Dorado  for  a  visit,  though  my  grandmother 
likes  Guadalajara  best,  now  that  I  am  growing  up. 
There  now,  baby,  do  not  fret.  See,  I  shall  walk 
about  with  you  and  let  you  smell  the  white  roses 
and  see  the  pretty  doves  drinking  at  the  fountain, 
and  listen  to  the  tinkle  of  the  water.  No,  no, 
Luz,  let  me  keep  him  a  little  while,  and  you  and 
your  mother  can  have  a  quiet  talk  together." 

She  kissed  the  tips  of  her  fingers  to  Lucita  and 
hurried  off  with  the  baby  proudly  clasped  in  her 
arms,  toward  a  knot  of  girls  about  the  fountain. 

"What  is  the  matter,  mama?"  Lucita  asked, 
seating  herself  on  the  reed  mat,  to  which  she  had 
induced  her  mother  to  move.  "  Why  do  you  look 
so  strangely  after  Ninfa  ?  You  may  trust  the  baby 
with  her,  I  am  sure." 

"  Is  she  a  good  girl,  Lucita?  "  Teresa  asked  in  a 
strained  voice. 

"Yes,  good  and  sweet." 

"  Yet  she  must  be  rich  ;  all  the  Barredas  are, 
and  proud  also.      Is  she  proud,  Lucita?" 

"  Perhaps,"  Lucita  answered  a  little  unwillingly. 

"That  does  not  look  like  it,"  the  woman  went 
on,  her  eyes  still  following  Ninfa,  who  was  exhibit- 
ing the  baby's  charms  of  finger  and  toe  to  the 
circle  about  her.  "  She  says  that  she  is  a  Barreda. 
How  old  is  she,  Lucita?  " 


156      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"Just  about  my  age,  mama"  Lucita  answered, 
surprised  at  this  catechism  from  her  mother.  "  But 
tell  me  more  about  papa  now.  You  know  it  has 
been  a  week  since  I  have  seen  him.  If  he  does 
not  get  better  I  shall  ask  permission  to  go  home 
this  week  and  pay  you  a  visit  some  afternoon." 

"  Bring  the  Sefiorita  Ninfa  with  you,  if  you 
come,"  was  the  mother's  strange  request.  "  Has 
she  been  here  long,  Lucita?  You  have  never 
mentioned  her  name  to  me." 

"  She  is  a  new  girl,  mama,  and  I  do  not  under- 
stand why  she  should  interest  you  so  much." 

"  Has  she  father  and  mother,  Lucita?"  the  ques- 
tions continued,  as  if  urged  from  Teresa's  lips  by 
some  power  beyond  herself. 

By  degrees,  therefore,  Teresa  learned  ail  of 
Ninfa's  history  which  was  known  to  the  young  girl 
herself. 

"The  little  sister  who  died  while  her  mother  was 
away  from  home,  was  named  Luz,"  Lucita  ex- 
claimed at  the  end  with  a  shy  smile  of  pleasure ; 
"so  that  is  one  reason  why  Ninfa  loves  me.  There 
is  another  Luz  here,  but  she  is  so  little  that  Ninfa 
says  she  cannot  even  imagine  that  she  is  her  sister. 
Sometimes,  mama,  we  pretend  that  we  are  sisters, 
twin-sisters — only  think  of  it ! — and  Ninfa  says  she 
wishes  it  were  really  true." 

"She  has  been  here  only  one  week,  and  you 
have  grown  so  intimate  as  that?"  Teresa  asked  in 


Americanos  of  saltillo  15? 

a  hard,  unnatural  voice.  "Take  care,  Lucita,  some 
day  one  of  her  proud  relatives  will  come  who  may 
not  be  so  easy  and  good-tempered  as  her  father 
was ;  then  all  your  friendship  will  be  broken  up  and 
the  girl  will  forget  that  she  has  ever  known  you." 

"  Her  father,  mama  ?  What  can  you  know  of 
her  father,  who  died  when  she  was  a  baby,  and  in 
the  south  too?  " 

"  I  knew  him,"  the  mother  faltered,  with  a  flush 
on  her  thin  cheeks.  "  We  lived  in  the  south  when 
you  were  born,  you  know,"  she  added,  rising  hastily 
as  she  spoke  and  going  to  meet  Ninfa  who  ap- 
proached with  the  baby. 

She  did  not  linger  long  after  this  and  Lucita  was 
troubled  at  her  mother's  unusual  discomposure  of 
manner.  It  seemed  as  if  Ninfa's  face  and  figure 
had  a  fascination  for  Teresa,  for  her  eyes  continu- 
ally fastened  themselves  upon  her  as  the  young  girl 
accompanied  Lucita  and  the  visitors  to  the  gates. 

"I  wish  I  had  a  little  brother  like  that,"  Ninfa 
said,  leaning  upon  Lucita' s  arm  as  they  watched 
the  woman  leave  the  garden. 

"I  think  mama  is  not  well  this  afternoon,"  Lucita 
confided  to  Ninfa,  as  they  returned  to  the  dormi- 
tory. "  She  is  generally  very  cheerful  and  happy. 
I  fear  my  papa  is  growing  worse,  and  mama  has 
much  work  to  do." 

"You  are  richer  than  I  am,  Luz,"  Ninfa  whis- 
pered.      "  You  have  a  papa  and  a  mama  and  a 


I58  THE    SENORA's    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

brother,  while  I  have  nobody  but  my  grandmother. 
But  I  do  not  know  how  it  would  be  to  be  poor  as 
you  say  you  are,"  she  added  candidly.  "  I  do  not 
think  I  should  like  it  very  well,  even  with  a  mother 
and  little  brother." 

Meanwhile  Teresa  was  torturing  herself  with  the 
question  : 

"  Ought  Lucita  to  be  told  ?  After  all  our  care, 
do  we  not  deserve  to  enjoy  what  God  has  given  us 
for  the  rest  of  our  lives  ?  Yet  perhaps  she  ought 
to  be  told.     I  will  ask  Luis." 


VI 


"  \  T  7 HAT  ails  you,  woman?"  Luis  Rubio  asked 

V  V  sharply,  as  Teresa  sat  moodily  in  the  door- 
way after  her  return  from  the  institute.  "You 
said  the  walk  down  to  the  school  would  do  you 
good.  Instead,  it  seems  to  have  made  you  deaf 
and  dumb.  Don't  you  hear  the  baby  crying?  He 
waked  as  soon  as  you  laid  him  on  the  bed." 

Teresa  rose  and  brought  the  fretting  child  out 
into  the  air,  and  spent  several  moments  in  soothing 
him.  Then,  while  Pepito  lay  on  her  lap  sucking 
his  thumb  and  gazing  vacantly  at  the  bright  colors 
of  the  sky,  the  wife  spoke,  as  if  with  difficulty. 

"  Ah,  Luis,  you  will  be  sorry  to  hear  what  I  have 
to  say  when  once  I  open  my  mouth,"  she  said, 
looking  away  from  her  husband's  perplexed  face. 

"You  said  that  Lucita  was  well,"  Luis  replied. 
"What  bad  news  can  you  have  possibly  brought 
from  the  school,  then,  if  naught  ails  the  girl?  Were 
any  stones  thrown  at  the  church  to-day?  I  am 
always  fearing  for  the  beautiful  window  in  front, 
notwithstanding  the  wire  netting.  Did  anything 
happen  this  morning?" 

"A  new  scholar  has  come  to  the  school,  Luis," 

Teresa  said  ;  "  and  she " 

i59 


l60  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"  More  good  news,"  Luis  interrupted.  "The  more 
the  better,  I  say,  and  if  they  grow  too  crowded,  we 

will  have  Lucita  at  home  to  sleep "    His  wife's 

discomposed  face  interrupted  him  in  his  turn.  "Go 
on,  woman,"  he  said  impatiently.  "What  of  the 
new  scholar?  " 

"She  comes  from  the  south,  from  the  hacienda 
of  El  Dorado,  near  Guadalajara,  and  her  name  is 
Ninfa  Barreda,"  was  the  impressive  reply. 

For  a  brief  second  Luis  stared  the  woman  in  the 
face,  then  his  head  drooped  upon  his  breast. 

"Will  you  tell  the  girl — our  Lucita?"  he  asked 
presently,  in  feeble  tones. 

"  I  do  not  know ;  you  must  decide,  Luis.  Why 
should  we  alter  things  ?  Lucita  is  happy,  and  as 
you  know  the  Barredas  are  proud  and  overbearing. 
At  least,"  Teresa  added,  after  a  moment's  reflec- 
tion, "  Dona  Alejandra  was  said  to  be  so,  and  it  is 
she  alone  who  lives  now,  and  Don  Vicente's 
daughter,  the  child  whom  I  saw  this  afternoon,  is 
in  her  sole  charge." 

Silence  fell  between  the  husband  and  wife  after 
this.  Pepito's  thumb  gradually  slipped  from  his 
wee  mouth,  as  he  slept,  and  darkness  settled  around 
them.  A  struggle  was  going  on  in  the  hearts  of 
Luis  and  Teresa  as  the  moments  passed. 

For  several  years,  ever  since  their  feet  had  begun 
to  follow  the  true  Way,  their  consciences  had  suf- 
fered more  or  less  on   Lucita's  account.      Now  a 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  l6l 

crucial  point  seemed  to  be  reached.  A  mere 
silence  on  their  part  would  allow  their  simple  lives 
to  proceed  without  distressing  change  and  renun- 
ciation. A  few  spoken  words  might  rend  asunder 
the  happy  family  life  growing  more  and  more  cen- 
tered in  Lucita's  cleverness  and  her  loving  cheer. 

A  motto  was  pinned  on  the  dingy  wall  opposite 
the  stool  where  Luis  sat,  a  home-made  affair, 
brought  from  school  one  day  by  Lucita.  The 
white  card  had  letters  cut  from  gilt  paper  pasted 
upon  it,  and  the  letters  formed  the  question,  in 
Spanish,  "What  would  Jesus  do?  " 

It  was  too  dark  now  for  even  the  card  to  be 
seen,  in  the  shadow  of  the  hall,  but  Don  Luis 
presently  raised  his  eyes  toward  its  place,  from  a 
kind  of  habit  he  had  of  consulting  the  words 
upon  it. 

"What  do  you  think  he  would  do  about  it, 
Teresita?"  he  asked. 

"  Of  course  the  Christ  would  always  do  the  right 
thing,"  Teresa  replied  impatiently.  "I  am  tired  of 
having  that  card  on  the  wall,  Luis,  and  I  wish  Lu- 
cita had  not  brought  it  here." 

"You  thought  it  beautiful,  at  first,  Teresa." 

"  So  I  did,  but  it  is  fly-specked  now.  How  can 
I  keep  any  white  thing  clean  in  this  house  ?  I 
noticed  yesterday  that  the  letters  were  peeling  off 
too.  I'll  take  it  down  to-morrow  and  put  it  in  the 
box  to  keep  for  Lucita." 


1 62  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"What  would  be  'the  right  thing,'  Teresa?"  Luis 
asked,  taking  no  notice  of  his  wife's  petulance.  He 
was  sorry  for  Teresa  and  sorry  for  himself.  There 
was  no  reply.  "Suppose  you  tell  the  sefioritas 
about  it,"  he  added.  "They  are  wise,  and  love 
Lucita." 

Teresa  nodded  her  head  as  if  in  consent,  and 
then  rose  abruptly,  declaring  that  it  was  high  time 
to  close  the  doors,  as  the  night  air  was  too  cool  for 
her  husband's  bones. 

In  her  heart  she  realized  that  the  advice  of  Luis 
was  good.  It. seemed  really  too  great  a  question 
to  be  answered  by  themselves  alone.  If  the  Se- 
norita  Julia  agreed  with  her,  Lucita  need  not  be 
told,  and  she  was  rather  sure  of  making  a  strong 
story  in  her  own  behalf.  Of  course  both  she  and 
Luis  wished  to  do  "the  right  thing,"  always,  now 
that  they  loved  Jesus  and  had  promised  to  obey 
him  as  well  as  they  could.  Yet  days,  and  then 
weeks,  and  even  months  passed,  and  the  Sefiorita 
Julia  heard  nothing  of  the  perplexity  and  unrest  of 
the  Rubios. 

" Manana1  I  will  go,"  Teresa  would  say  to  her- 
self and  to  Luis. 

But  there  was  always  something  else  to  do 
manana,  and  Luis  had  not  the  heart  to  insist  upon 
her  going.  Surely  there  could  be  no  hurry,  while 
as  yet  the  school  term  was  not  half  gone. 

1  To-morrow. 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 63 

School  work  went  steadily  on,  during  the  sum- 
mer months.  The  sun  was  hot  and  the  days  were 
long,  but  the  thick  stone  walls  of  the  institute  ex- 
cluded all  heat,  while  the  wide  corridor  encircling 
the  building  on  the  inner  court  was  always  airy 
with  vagrant  breezes  and  puffs  of  wind. 

Ninfa  was  not  long  in  recommending  herself  to 
her  teachers,  for,  though  she  was  not  particularly 
clever,  her  rearing  had  been  that  of  a  lady,  and  she 
was  obedient  to  them  and  thoughtful  of  their 
wishes.  Each  day  the  little  "blue  geography" 
told  her  something  that  she  had  never  known  be- 
fore. From  her  foreign  teachers  she  learned  to 
understand  the  map  of  Mexico,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  she  knew  the  names  and  capitals  of  its 
twenty-seven  states,  and  their  boundaries.  She 
had  found  that  she  must  wait  a  year  before  begin- 
ning the  study  of  Mexican  history,  but  from  the 
senoritas  she  heard  much  about  President  Diaz,  his 
wisdom  in  government,  and  his  good  intentions 
toward  the  Mexican  people. 

Of  course  there  were  classes  for  spelling  and 
reading  also,  and  Ninfa  could  not  help  being  inter- 
ested in  the  little  tales  given  in  "  Appleton's  Second 
Reader,"  in  Spanish,  though  she  was  a  great  girl  of 
seventeen.  Arithmetic  proved  a  bugbear,  and  the 
Sefiorita  Julia  had  sad  times  over  the  private  lessons 
necessary  for  Ninfa's  instruction  in  the  mysteries  of 
long  division.      Ninfa  was  disposed,  at  times,  to  be 


164  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

indignant  at  what  proved  to  be  expected  of  her  in 
arithmetic.  Was  she,  a  girl  who  already  had  a 
lover,  to  be  forever  reviewing  the  multiplication 
table  ?  Could  it  possibly  make  so  very  much  dif- 
ference whether  siete  por  sies  were  cuarenta  y  dos, 
or  cuarenta  y  nueve  f1  It  was  very  tiresome.  Lu- 
cita  secretly,  yet  thoroughly,  sympathized  with 
Ninfa  upon  this  subject.  In  this  one  study  alone 
she  was  behind  all  her  class,  and  had  not  yet  been 
promoted  to  the  director's  class  in  algebra.  Yet 
she  was  able  to  untangle  many  a  knot  for  Ninfa 
during  the  afternoons  out  of  school,  and  her  own 
knowledge  of  arithmetic  was  not  lessened  by  this 
exercise. 

Simple  lessons  in  English  were  given  Ninfa  by 
the  Senorita  Dora,  at  odd  moments  during  the 
morning,  as  it  was  not  possible  to  introduce  the 
new  pupil  into  a  class  which  had  been  at  work  on 
the  language  for  almost  three  months.  This  study 
became,  next  to  her  music,  Ninfa' s  joy  and  pride. 
Columbus  discovering  the  new  worlds  could  not 
have  experienced  livelier  sensations  of  delight  and 
awe,  than  did  Ninfa  upon  being  assured  that  the 
senorita  actually  understood  her  meaning,  when, 
after  careful  preparation,  she  had  timidly  pro- 
pounded the  question :"  Where  is  the  cat?"  in 
English.  The  teacher's  reply  had  been  :  "  I  am 
sure  I  have  no  idea,  Ninfa,"  and  the  girl  had  been 

1  Whether  seven  times  six  were  forty-two  or  forty-nine. 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  1 65 

deeply  chagrined  at  not  understanding  what  had 
seemed  so  simple  a  reply !  Even  her  own  name 
had  sounded  unfamiliar  when  spoken  in  the  Eng- 
lish tongue. 

Besides  her  music  lesson  three  times  a  week, 
there  were  long  hours  of  practising  in  one  of  the 
music  rooms,  yet  they  never  seemed  long  to  Ninfa. 

Life  within  the  institute  walls  was  busy  indeed 
for  the  seventy-five  girls  gathered  there,  not  to 
speak  of  the  teachers,  who  did  their  part.  But 
there  were  hours  of  play  as  well  as  hours  of  work, 
when  the  corridors  echoed  with  laughter  and 
snatches  of  song,  when  racing  feet  and  shrill  voices 
told  of  games  of  " hide-and-seek,"  or  "drop  the 
handkerchief,"  and  others  whose  names  are  un- 
known in  the  language  in  which  this  tale  is  written. 

May,  June,  July,  and  August  passed  away,  and 
September  came  with  cold  nights  and  mornings, 
though  the  heat  of  the  sun  at  midday  was  still  sick- 
ening to  those  who  exposed  themselves  to  it. 

On  a  Sunday  afternoon  in  September,  Lucita 
and  Ninfa,  with  other  girls  of  the  same  age,  gath- 
ered for  a  Sunday  talk  with  the  Sefiorita  Julia  in 
her  pleasant  room  opening  upon  the  street. 

Opportunities  to  visit  the  teachers'  rooms  were 
highly  appreciated  by  the  pupils,  for  these  apart- 
ments represented  a  different  world  and  civilization 
from  their  own.  There  were  certain  loyal  ones 
among  the  girls  who  were  stanch  in  their  prefer- 


1 66  the  senora's  granddaughters 

ence  for  the  Sefiorita  Dora's  room,  with  its  cool, 
green  light  from  the  tinted  walls,  and  its  dark  fur- 
niture of  walnut,  its  books  and  its  pictures.  Others 
declared  warmly  for  the  sunnier  room  of  the  Se- 
fiorita Julia,  with  its  wide,  glass  doors  closing  the 
window,  instead  of  the  heavy,  solid  shutters  of  the 
other  windows  of  the  building.  Here  there  were 
gay  walls,  blue  striped,  with  pink  roses  between, 
and  the  furniture  was  of  polished  oak.  The  large 
mirror,  the  wide,  soft  bed,  the  books  and  pictures 
here  also,  and  the  wicker  rocking-chair,  were  all 
novelties,  even  to  the  well-bred  Ninfa,  accustomed 
to  metal  bedsteads  without  springs,  and  rockerless 
chairs. 

When  the  girls  had  bestowed  themselves  on 
chairs,  trunk,  and  matting,  the  sefiorita  was  about 
to  close  the  glass  doors  and  so  partially  shut  out 
the  sights  and  sounds  of  the  street,  directly  outside, 
when  a  dark-eyed  boy  addressed  her  from  the  side- 
walk. He  stood  for  several  moments  before  speak- 
ing, grasping  the  window  bars  with  his  hands,  and 
gazing  boldly  at  each  object  that  met  his  glance 
inside.  He  was  a  ragged  little  fellow,  dressed  in 
soiled  shirt  and  trousers  of  white  cotton,  and  wear- 
ing a  broken  straw  hat  on  his  rough  black  head, 
and  sandals  on  his  feet. 

"Buy  my  chocolate,  sefiora?"  he  asked,  taking 
up  a  small  covered  tray  from  the  ground  at  his 
feet.      "  My  mother  made  it,  and  it  is  good." 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 67 

"  No,  child,  I  cannot  buy  your  chocolate  to- 
day," the  senorita  answered,  pausing,  however,  with 
a  smile  in  the  act  of  closing  the  window.  "  Bring 
me  some  to-morrow  and  I  will  take  it." 

The  boy  shrugged  his  shoulders.  Ninfa  jingled 
some  cents  in  her  pocket  and  looked  lovingly  at 
the  crisp,  brown  squares  offered  by  the  boy,  but 
Lucita  shook  her  head  at  her. 

"It  will  be  all  sold  by  to-morrow,"  he  said. 
"  Why  not  take  it  to-day  ?  It  will  save  me  more 
walking  and  the  sefioritas  wish  some.  It  is  very 
pure,  sefiora." 

"  To-day  is  Sunday,  my  dear.  I  never  buy  any- 
thing on  Sunday,"  the  teacher  said,  still  lingering 
at  the  window. 

"  One  must  eat  on  Sundays  as  well  as  on  other 
days,"  the  child  replied  quickly.  "  Why  not  choc- 
olate as  well  as  anything  else  ?  Well,  actios,  sefiora, 
you  will  be  sorry  when  I  am  gone."  Showing  his 
teeth  in  a  brilliant  smile,  the  boy  shuffled  farther 
along  the  street,  not  failing  to  tap  at  each  of  the 
other  windows  of  the  institute  as  he  passed. 

"Will  he  sell  it,  senorita?"  Ninfa  asked,  with 
interest,  as  the  teacher  closed  the  window  and 
stepped  down  from  the  low  window  seat  into  the 
room. 

"  Oh,  yes,  to  some  one,  of  course,  for  it  is  very 
good  chocolate,"  was  the  reply.  "I  have  fre- 
quently bought  it  from  his  little  sister.     I  know  his 


1 68  the  senora's  granddaughters 

mother,  and  it  is,  as  he  says,  made  by  her,  and 
good  and  pure.      Did  you  want  some,  Ninfa?  " 

"  Ninfa  likes  our  chocolate  very  much,"  Arcadia 
replied  for  Ninfa.  "  She  says  she  never  sees  any 
just  like  it  at  her  home." 

Thereupon  the  sefiorita  took  down  a  blue  china 
plate  from  a  shelf,  and  opening  a  drawer  in  the 
bureau,  produced  a  paper  bag  filled  with  squares 
of  the  delicious  sweet.  She  filled  the  plate,  and 
then  offered  it  to  the  half-dozen  girls  who  had 
watched  her  movements  with  interest. 

"  I  saw  the  woman  grind  the  cacao  beans  to 
make  this  very  chocolate,"  she  said,  "and  as  I 
selected  the  beans  myself  at  the  store,  I  think  you 
will  find  it  very  nice." 

After  some  polite  demurring  the  plate  was  ere 
long  nearly  emptied,  and  all  the  girls  sat  nibbling.  • 

"  I  too  like  to  have  something  good  to  eat  on 
Sunday  afternoons,"  the  sefiorita  said,  smiling  into 
the  almost  empty  plate  as  it  reached  her  hands 
again.  "When  I  was  a  little  girl,  my  mother 
always  had  some  kind  of  'Sunday  treat'  for  me. 
Now  that  I  am  grown  up  and  need  the  money  for 
so  many  other  things,  I  do  not  often  spend  it  on 
sweets  like  this.  How  fortunate  that  you  girls 
should  have  happened  in  this  afternoon,  when  there 
really  was  a  '  Sunday  treat '  on  hand  ! " 

"  But  you  know  we  did  not  know  it,  sefiorita," 
Lucita  said  deprecatingly. 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 69 

"We  wanted  to  talk  to  you  about  something," 
another  girl  added. 

"That  is,  we  wanted  her  to  talk  to  us,  Angela," 
Arcadia  corrected  her. 

"  Ninfa  asked  us  a  question  this  morning,  after 
we  came  from  church,"  Lucita  explained,  "and  we 
could  not  answer  her  very  well.  So  we  thought  we 
would  come  to  you." 

"Did  you  bring  your  Bibles  then?"  the  sefiorita 
asked  quickly. 

"Why,  no,"  Angela  Vera  replied.  "  I  do  not  be- 
lieve there  is  anything  about  this  in  the  Bible." 

"No,  sefiorita,"  Lucita  said  gravely,  "I  think 
questions  like  this  were  not  troubling  people  in 
those  days." 

"In  what  days?"  Sefiorita  Julia  asked. 

"  In  those  old  days,  when  Jesus  was  a  man,  and 
Peter  and  Paul  preached  to  the  people,"  Lucita 
replied  for  the  rest.  "There  were  not  any  Roman 
Catholic  priests  then,  sefiorita?" 

"  There  were  priests  certainly,  though  they  were 
not  Roman  Catholics.  Let  me  hear  Ninfa' s  ques- 
tion— no,  first  all  go  and  get  your  Bibles,  and  then 
Ninfa  herself  shall  ask  her  question  over  again." 


VII 


" '  I  "'HERE  !     You   are   back   again,   every  one. 

-L  That  is  good,"  the  sefiorita  exclaimed,  as 
the  girls  bustled  in  again.  "  I  thought  I  would 
give  any  one  of  you  the  opportunity  to  stay  away 
if  she  liked.  What,  Ninfa  !  You  have  no  Bible  ? 
Could  you  not  borrow  one?  " 

Ninfa  hung  her  head  for  a  second,  then  looked 
up  brightly  into  the  teacher's  face. 

"  I  would  like  to  use  the  little  brown  book  you 
have,  sefiorita,  if  you  will  lend  it  to  me ;  the  one 
having  a  crucifix  on  the  cover." 

"My  little  Roman  Catholic  Testament?"  the 
sefiorita  asked  in  some  surprise.  "  Certainly,  you 
may  have  that  one  if  you  prefer  it.  I  was  going 
to  use  it  myself  but  shall  be  glad  to  see  it  in  your 
hands  instead.  It  is  much  like  the  other  editions, 
Ninfa,  and  I  am  particularly  glad  for  you  girls  to 
learn  just  what  it  teaches  on  the  question  you  have 
in  mind.  Understand  that  I  have  as  yet  no  idea 
as  to  what  that  question  is.  What  have  you  been 
puzzling  my  girls  about,  Ninfa  Barreda?"  The 
question  was  asked  playfully,  but  there  was  earnest 
interest  in  the  sefiorita' s  heart. 

"  Sefiorita,  it  is  such  a  very  little  thing  that  I  do 
170 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  I7I 

not  understand  why  a  fuss  should  be  made  about 
it  by  the  girls,"  Ninfa  answered.  "  I  wanted  to 
know  why  the  Protestants  do  not  have  priests  like 
ours,  that  is  all." 

"  You  know,  senorita,  we  have  been  reviewing 
our  Jiistoria  patria  this  week,  and  you  have  told  us 
a  great  deal  about  the  old  Aztec  religion  and  the 
priests  and  the  sacrifices,"  Lucita  interposed. 

"And  in  our  missionary  society  we  learn  about 
the  priests  in  China  and  Japan,"  Arcadia  added 
eagerly,  "and  it  does  seem  as  if  everybody  but 
the  Protestants  have  priests." 

A  sweet-faced  girl  named  Angela  Vera  spoke 
next,  yet  more  shyly  than  the  rest.  "The  lesson 
at  Sunday-school  to-day  was  about  the  chief  priests 
in  Jerusalem,''  she  said.  "You  know  they  were 
enemies  of  Jesus." 

"Why  were  they  his  enemies,  Angela?"  the 
senorita  asked  softly. 

"  Because  he  did  not  teach  the  people  as  they 
did?"  Angela  replied  tentatively. 

"  I  believe,"  the  senorita  said  slowly  and  thought- 
fully, "that  you  will  find  on  examination  that  all 
priests  who  claim  to  be  more  than  human  guides 
of  their  people  and  who  trust  in  any  other  author- 
ity than  God  for  the  spiritual  aid  they  are  able  to 
give,  are  false  teachers,  and  as  such  are  enemies  of 
Christ,  who  is  God." 

Ninfa    looked    perplexed,   and   idly   turned  the 


1/2      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

leaves  of  the  little  book  she  held  in  her  hand.  It 
was  a  copy  of  the  New  Testament  with  notes, 
published  in  London  in  1847.  The  frontispiece 
was  a  representation  of  the  Saviour  standing  with 
uplifted  finger  pointing  to  the  sky.  In  the  back- 
ground were  the  walls  and  towers  of  a  city.  Three 
crosses  were  pictured  on  a  hill  near  by,  and  under- 
neath the  whole  was  printed  : 

"Truly  this  is  the  Saviour  of  the  world." 

The  last  leaves  of  the  book  were  given  up  to  a 
subject  index,  by  means  of  which  the  student 
might  find  references,  giving  authority  for,  "bap- 
tism," "spiritual  joy,"  "adoration  of  images,"  "tran- 
substantiation,"  and  other  religious  exercises. 

This  book  had  accompanied  the  sefiorita  on 
many  a  visit  from  house  to  house  in  the  city.  The 
actual  sacred  text  was  almost  identical  with  that  of 
the  other  versions,  and  ignoring  the  human  com- 
ments and  interpretations  subjoined,  the  sefiorita 
had  often  found  that  there  were  those  who  would 
listen  to  this  version,  authorized  by  Pope  Pius  VI., 
through  his  "  Latin  secretary,"  '  who  would  not 
dare  to  allow  the  Protestants'  Bible  an  entrance  to 
their  homes. 

After  turning  the  leaves  of  her  own  Bible  for  a 
moment  or  two,  the  sefiorita  asked  the  girls  to  find 
certain  verses  in  the  seventh,  eighth,  and  ninth 
chapters  of  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews.     She  herself 

1See  Appendix  III.,  for  translation  of  the  Pope's  letter. 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1^3 

found  the  places  for  Ninfa,  and  the  girl  was  sur- 
prised to  notice  whole  paragraphs  in  these  chapters 
heavily  marked  by  pen  and  ink. 

"  You  see,  Ninfa,  yours  is  a  question  that  has 
been  asked  before,"  the  sefiorita  said.  "  Now  listen 
while  Lucita  reads  the  verses  as  I  shall  call  for 
them." 

For  a  whole  hour  there  was  quiet  in  the  room, 
broken  only  by  the  murmur  of  low  voices,  in  read- 
ing or  in  explanation  and  argument.  Ninfa  listened 
to  every  word  with  an  interest  which  deepened  as 
the  discussion  proceeded.  She  wished  her  grand- 
mother could  have  heard  what  the  sefiorita  was 
saying,  and  she  wondered  why  there  was  no  New 
Testament  like  this  at  home.  Justo  must  certainly 
own  a  Bible,  if  he  were  a  priest ;  and  yet  this  Bible 
seemed  to  be  teaching  that  a  new  order  of  things 
had  come  about  since  Christ's  life  on  earth  and  his 
death,  and  it  really  appeared  that  there  was  no 
further  need  of  priests  to  offer  masses  for  the 
living  and  dead.  As  to  the  money  offerings  ex- 
acted of  penitents,  not  to  speak  of  the  actual 
shedding  of  blood  in  some  of  the  acts  of  penance, 
according  to  the  sefiorita  these  things  were  all  out 
of  date,  as  well  as  wrong. 

She  wondered  if  there  were  Roman  Catholics 
where  the  Americans  came  from,  and  if  they  had 
priests  and  believed  in  purgatory. 

Poor  Justo,  a   priest  for  nothing  !     How  badly 


174  THE  senora's  granddaughters 

he  would  feel  to  know  his  mistake  !  Yet  why 
should  he  be  mistaken,  with  the  Bible  as  free  to 
every  one  as  the  senorita  said  it  really  was  ? 

For  the  first  time  the  thought  came  this  after- 
noon to  Ninfa,  that  Padre  Manuel  and  her  grand- 
mother might  be  wrong  in  their  idea  that  the  Bible 
was  a  book  hard  to  be  understood  and  not  fit  for 
the  young  and  ignorant  to  read.  It  seemed  to  her 
to  be  written  in  very  plain  language,  and  she  had 
no  difficulty  in  understanding  the  words  after  once 
spelling  them  out.  It  was  true  that  the  little  book 
in  which  she  was  reading  was  printed  in  very  small 
type,  but  Lucita's  was  different,  and  Ninfa  was  sure 
that  with  such  a  book  she  would  be  able  to  under- 
stand much  more  of  it  than  just  the  pretty  stories 
and  simple  verses  she  was  growing  accustomed  to 
hear  read  each  day  at  morning  prayers.  The 
senorita  too  talked  very  plainly,  and  it  was  easy  for 
Ninfa  and  the  other  girls,  some  of  whom  were  also 
Roman  Catholics,  to  understand  about  the  old  idea 
of  satisfying  the  wrath  of  a  just  God  by  sacrifices 
in  his  name.  They  pitied  the  innocent  lambs 
offered  so  frequently  for  the  sins  of  the  Hebrew 
nation,  and  shuddered  at  the  hints  of  human  sacri- 
fices, presided  over,  even  now,  by  priests  of  heathen 
nations,  who  have  never  heard  of  a  loving  God. 

While  the  senorita  talked  about  the  priests  of 
old  times,  and  their  position  as  mediators  between 
some   offended   god   and   his  sinning   people,   and 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 75 

then  spoke  earnestly  of  the  one  great  sacrifice  of 
God's  Son  for  the  sin  of  the  whole  world,  it 
seemed  to  Ninfa  that  the  book  in  her  hand  told 
the  simple  truth,  that  there  was  no  more  need  for 
sacrifice  for  sin,  by  priest  or  people.  Did  not  the 
words  say:  "Wherefore  he  is  able  also  to  save 
them  to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto  God  by 
him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for 
them"? 

Then  the  next  verses  were  plainer  still  :  "  For 
such  a  high  priest  became  us,  who  is  holy,  harm- 
less, undefiled,  separate  from  sinners,  and  made 
higher  than  the  heavens  :  who  needeth  not  daily, 
as  those  high  priests,  to  offer  up  sacrifices,  first  for 
his  own  sins,  and  then  for  the  people's,  for  this  he 
did  once  when  he  offered  up  himself." 

The  sefiorita  had  said  that  the  high  priests 
mentioned  here  were  Jewish  priests,  of  course, 
who  did  not  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  as  God's  Son 
and  the  world's  Saviour,  as  Roman  Catholic  priests 
believe. 

"  Yet  what  need  have  we  now  of  such  priests  as 
these  we  see  on  the  streets  every  day?"  she  asked. 
"Our  'high  priest'  has  not  withdrawn  his  inter- 
cession from  us,  but  'ever  liveth'  to  fulfill  his  office 
of  mediator.  We  have  him  still,  the  '  mediator  of 
the  new  covenant.'  " 

Then  the  Christ  and  his  offering  of  himself,  ac- 
cording to  the  sefiorita's  doctrine,  had  taken  the 


I76  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

place  of  the  priests  and  their  sacrifices  of  bulls  and 
of  lambs  and  goats. 

Ninfa  felt  Lucita's  wistful  eyes  upon  her  as  she 
was  called  on  to  read  a  few  verses  farther  on.  She 
stumbled  in  the  reading,  but  the  senorita  waited  in 
patience  till  the  end  was  reached.  Angela  Vera 
had  read  of  the  tabernacle,  and  of  the  holy  of  holies 
into  which  the  high  priest  alone  might  enter,  and 
that  but  once  a  year,  after  sacrifices  of  animals  for 
his  own  and  the  people's  sins,  and  the  senorita  had 
said  that  this  was  very  simply  explained  as  being 
only  a  shadow,  or  a  type,  of  some  better  way  to  be 
shown  later.  Ninfa  therefore  read  what  followed, 
how  Christ  through  his  own  blood,  had  now  once 
for  all  obtained  eternal  redemption  : 

"  For  if  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats,  and  the 
ashes  of  a  heifer  sprinkling  the  unclean  sanctifieth 
unto  the  purifying  of  the  flesh  ;  how  much  more 
shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who  through  the  eternal 
Spirit  offered  himself  without  spot  to  God,  purge 
your  conscience  from  dead  works  to  serve  the  liv- 
ing God?" 

"  But  you  have  preachers  to  teach  the  people, 
as  our  priests  do,"  Carmen  Diaz  objected.  "  How 
are  people  to  know  all  this  about  Jesus  Christ  if 
there  is  no  one  to  tell  them  ?  " 

"The  monjas  taught  me  before  I  came  here," 
little  Luz  exclaimed  ;  "  but  it  was  almost  all  about 
the  Virgin  and  the  saints." 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  I  77 

"  Our  catechism  does  teach  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
God's  Son,  senorita,"  Carmen  continued;  ''and  I 
want  to  know  what  we  would  do  without  the 
priests,  because  after  all,  Christ  has  gone  to  heaven, 
as  this  book  says.  He  may  be  interceding  for  us, 
but  we  cannot  see  him  and  cannot  be  sure  that  he 
hears  us." 

"And  this  Bible  says  that  it  was  right  at  one 
time -to  have  priests  and  altars  and  candlesticks  in 
the  churches,  senorita,"  Angela  Vera  suggested. 

Lucita  was  silent,  but  watchful,  and  Ninfa  was 
anxious  to  hear  the  sefiorita's  reply  to  all  these 
objections. 

Then  she  heard  how  the  Saviour  himself  had 
commanded  those  who  had  learned  of  him  to  go  and 
tell  the  whole  world  about  his  teachings  and  to  try 
to  bring  every  one  to  a  true  knowledge  of  himself, 
and  if  priests  would  confine  themselves  to  teaching 
the  simple  truth  of  the  Bible  about  the  Master  and 
his  salvation,  they  would  be  doing  God's  work  in- 
deed. If,  however,  any  priest  or  preacher  in  the 
world  should  dare  to  teach  that  repentance  for  sins, 
and  confession,  should  be  offered  to  God  by  the 
sinner  through  himself  as  intercessor  between  the 
sinning  one  and  the  Saviour,  such  a  man  would  be 
taking  to  himself  rights  belonging  to  Christ  alone. 

"And  is  it  not  thus  with  your  priests,  Carmen?'' 
the  senorita  asked.  "  Do  they  not  often  put  them- 
selves,   the    saints,    Mary,    good    works,    penance, 


178  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

almsgiving,  between  a  poor  sin-stricken  soul  and 
the  loving  Saviour?  Has  not  a  repentant  man, 
under  such  circumstances,  a  long  and  difficult  way 
to  tread  before  he  may  be  assured  of  forgiveness 
and  reinstatement  from  Jesus?  Hear  what  my 
Bible,  and  yours  also,  says  :  '  Now,  once  in  the  end 
of  the  world  hath  he  appeared  to  put  away  sin  by 
the  sacrifice  of  himself.' 

"Why  is  there  need  for  any  more  sacrifice,  for 
the  scourging  with  the  disciplina,  for  the  wearing 
one's  self  out  with  long  kneeling  on  damp  floors  of 
churches,  of  hurting  one's  self  in  any  way,  when 
the  Lord  himself  is  so  near  to  each  repentant  heart 
that  a  simple  longing  for  his  presence  is  all  that  is 
needed  to  bring  him  closer,  and  confession  to  him 
alone  what  he  requires  ?  No  priest  is  needed  be- 
tween any  man's  soul  and  the  Saviour,  and  I  think 
what  we  have  been  reading  very  clearly  proves 
this." 

"  Did  Christ  say  all  this?  "  Ninfa  asked,  laying  her 
hand  over  the  page  of  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews 
lying  open  upon  her  lap. 

"  No.  One  of  the  Christians  who  worked  after 
Jesus  ascended  to  heaven,  wrote  this  letter  to  the 
Christian  Jews,  when  some  were  falling  away  from 
faith  in  Christ,  troubled  by  men  who  taught  false 
doctrines,  contrary  to  the  Master's." 

"  I  suppose  this  is  the  truth,"  the  girl  said  wist- 
fully. 


AMERICANOS    OF   SALTILLO  1 79 

"Yes,  indeed,"  the  sefiorita  replied  smiling. 
"  Ninfa,  do  you  feel  as  if  your  question  had  been 
answered  ?  There  is  a  great  deal  more  that  we 
might  read  about  this,  but  I  see  that  it  is  almost 
time  for  the  supper  bell  to  ring." 

"  I  cannot  understand  how  so  many  people  can 
be  wrong,"  Ninfa  answered;  "but  I  do  think  it 
must  be  as  you  say,  sefiorita,  and  perhaps  some 
day  there  will  be  no  more  priests  in  Mexico.  I 
would  like  to  talk  with  my  grandmother  about  it." 

"  Poor  child,  I  am  afraid  your  grandmother 
would  not  agree  with  what  this  Bible  teaches  us, 
Ninfa." 

"  Oh,  but  that  is  because  she  has  never  read  it. 
May  I  buy  a  Bible,  sefiorita  ?  " 

"To-morrow  I  will  let  you  see  the  different  kinds 
we  have,  dear  child,  and  you  shall  choose  one  for 
yourself,  with  large  print  and  strong  covers." 

As  the  girls  went  out  through  the  anteroom 
separating  the  sefiorita' s  room  from  the  corridor, 
Lucita  lingered  behind  a  moment. 

"Sefiorita  Julia,"  she  said,  laying  her  hand  for  a 
moment  against  the  teacher's  shoulder,  "  I  do  not 
know  why  it  makes  me  both  glad  and  sorry  to  have 
Ninfa  ask  for  a  Bible.  But,  oh,  is  it  not  good  that 
you  and  I  do  not  need  a  priest  to  bring  us  near  to 
Jesus  ?  My  papa  often  talks  about  it,  and  how  the 
priest  used  to  seem  like  a  great  black  mantle  hid- 
ing the  Christ  from  him.     That  was  after  he  had 


i8o  the  senora's  granddaughters 

begun  to  go  to  hear  the  protestantes  talk  and  sing,  a 
long  while  ago." 

"  Lucita  must  be  careful  that  she  does  not  hide 
the  Christ  from  any  one,"  was  the  tender  reply. 
"  Lead  the  little  questioning  soul  of  Ninfa  as  near 
him  as  you  can,  my  child,  but  do  not  get  in  between 
and  shut  out  the  light.  Remember  your  name, 
'  Light,'  and  let  it  shine  very  clearly  in  his  name, 
and  then  you  will  be  truly  serving  him." 

Lucita  walked  soberly  away  to  join  Ninfa,  who 
was  waiting  for  her  at  the  outer  door.  The  supper 
bell  was  ringing  noisily,  and  all  the  corridor  was 
alive  with  footsteps  and  voices. 

Ninfa  clung  to  Lucita's  arm  as  they  walked 
toward  the  dining  room.  Her  thoughts  were  filled 
with  her  grandmother  and  Justo.  Within  herself, 
she  decided  that  she  would  buy  the  Bible  first  and 
then  write  home  about  it.  Perhaps  it  would  so 
please  her  mama  to  hear  of  her  improvement  in 
reading  that  she  would  not  object  to  the  new 
book's  being  a  Bible.  And  Padre  Justo?  Well, 
he  had  warned  her,  and  thus  done  his  duty.  He 
had  nothing  to  do  with  her,  after  all,  as  her  grand- 
mother had  very  truly  said. 

"Lucita,"  she  whispered,  "do  you  think  the 
Virgin  Mother  will  be  very  angry  if  I  believe  what 
the  man  wrote  about  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Bible? 
She  is  his  mother,  and  would  like  me  to  know  the 
truth  about  him,  I  should  think." 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  I  8  I 

"She  will  be  glad,  Ninfa,"  was  the  whispered  re- 
sponse. 

They  were  late  and  took  their  seats  after  the 
blessing  had  been  asked,  but  no  notice  was  taken 
of  their  tardiness  by  the  busy  teachers  presiding 
over  the  tables. 

Buns  and  thick  sticks  of  sugar  candy  were  served 
at  the  end  of  the  Sunday  evening  meal,  and  even 
Ninfa  could  find  no  fault  with  such  toothsome  fare. 


VIII 

CARMEN  DIAZ  had  not  been  so  easily  con- 
vinced of  the  truth  of  the  senorita's  reason- 
ing concerning  the  priestly  office  as  the  more 
childlike  and  trusting  Ninfa  had  been.  Car- 
men was  older,  her  wits  had  been  sharpened  by 
several  terms  at  the  Madero  Institute,  and  she 
belonged  to  a  family  priding  itself  upon  at  least 
one  priest  for  each  generation.  She  enjoyed  the 
discussion  of  religious  matters  with  the  teachers, 
and  often  waylaid  one  of  them  in  the  corridor  to 
propound  some  knotty  question  for  debate.  Like 
Ninfa,  she  was  of  a  wealthy  family  who  paid  her 
expenses  in  full,  while  many  of  the  poorer  girls 
were  supported  by  missionary  societies  in  the 
United  States.  Her  friends,  Arcadia  and  Angela, 
were  not  such  ardent  Romanists  as  herself,  yet  her 
influence  over  them  was  very  manifest  to  those  in- 
terested in  watching  their  development. 

As  several  girls  sat  around  the  fountain  that 
same  Sunday  evening,  Carmen  found  an  audience 
entirely  suited  to  her  tastes.  The  bell  for  retiring 
to  the  dormitories  had  not  yet  rung,  and  the  girls 
were  enjoying  the  brilliant  moonlight,  after  return- 
ing from  church  service.  Ninfa  was  there  and 
182 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 83 

little  Luz  also,  but  Lucita  had  gone  to  bed  with  a 
headache. 

"  Did  you  notice,  Angelita,  that  the  senorita 
spoke  about  men  teaching  false  doctrines  to  the 
Christians?"  Carmen  asked  in  a  low  but  trium- 
phant tone.  "Now,  girls,"  she  added,  turning  to 
one  or  two  who  had  not  been  present  at  the  dis- 
cussion in  the  sefiorita's  room,  "  I  have  told  you 
what  we  read  about  priests  and  what  the  senorita 
said  ;  how  do  we  know  that  these  gringos  them- 
selves are  not  teaching  '  false  doctrines '  ?  In  fact, 
my  grand-uncle,  the  bishop,  says  that  their  teaching 
is  false,  and  he  is  angry  with  my  father  for  sending 
me  here  to  school.  He  says  that  it  is  like  throw- 
ing a  poor  sheep  into  a  wolf's  den." 

Ninfa  started  slightly,  remembering  Justo's  words 
to  herself. 

"  Somebody  must  know  the  truth,"  Angela  said 
thoughtfully. 

"  Yet  our  believing  one  way  or  the  other  does 
not  seem  to  make  the  truth,"  Arcadia  added. 
"  Now  there  is  Lucita  Rubio  ;  she  is  a  Protestant, 
and  some  of  the  girls  say  it  is  because  she  is  poor 
and  her  parents  are  ignorant.  Yet  the  senoritas 
are  not  poor,  and  they  are  certainly  very  wise  and 
clever." 

"  Lucita  is  not  ignorant,  if  her  parents  are," 
Angela  said  quickly.  "  If  I  could  study  as  she 
does,  I  would  be  willing  to  be  poor." 


I84      THE  SENORA'S  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

Ninfa  laid  her  head  affectionately  against  An- 
gela's shoulder  at  these  words,  and  their  hands 
clasped  under  Angela's  black  shawl. 

Carmen's  black  eyes  flashed,  and  she  tossed  her 
head  defiantly. 

"  I  do  not  think  Lucita  knows  any  more  about 
religion  than  the  rest  of  us,"  she  snapped.  "  Clever 
as  she  may  be  with  her  books,  she  is  only  what 
her  father  and  mother  are  in  religion.  And  that 
is  what  the  rest  of  us  are,  I  am  sure.  Unless," 
she  added,  with  a  sly  look  at  Angela,  "  unless  some 
of  us  change  and  think  our  own  better  than  our 
parents'  brains." 

"  The  sefiorita  told  us  in  our  class  this  morning 
that  our  heads  have  not  so  much  to  do  with  religion 
as  our  hearts,"  Luz  spoke  up  bravely.  "She  said 
that  a  little  girl  could  be  a  good  Christian  just  as 
well  as  the  most  learned  man  or  woman." 

"What  is  being  'a  good  Christian,'  chiqiiita?" 
Carmen  asked,  giving  the  shawled  shoulders  of  the 
little  girl  a  playful  shake. 

"  'Loving  and  obeying  Christ,'  the  sefiorita  said." 

Ninfa  sighed  and  wondered  if  that  was  what  her 
grandmother  understood  by  the  word.  She  was 
greatly  puzzled  at  finding  good  people  so  divided 
upon  the  subject  of  religion,  for  she  had  come  to 
believe  that  there  were  good  people  even  among 
the  protestantes.  Carmen  was  only  adding  to  her 
perplexity. 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 85 

"Well,  I  shall  certainly  never  be  anything  but  a 
Roman  Catholic,"  Carmen  said,  "and  that  is  no 
reason  why  I  should  not  be  as  good  a  Christian  as 
anybody.  Ask  your  mothers,  my  dears,  and  I 
think  they  will  tell  you  that  there  were  Christians 
in  Mexico  before  the  americano§  came  to  teach 
their  betters.  Besides,  who  wants  to  give  up  bull 
fights  and  lovely  balls  ?     Not  I." 

The  bell  for  retiring  ringing  at  the  moment  pre- 
vented any  reply  to  Carmen's  last  words. 

"  Have  you  known  all  about  this  new  religion 
for  a  long  time,  Angelita?"  Ninfa  asked,  as  the  two 
girls  lingered  for  a  drink  of  water. 

"Oh,  yes,  for  two  or  three  years,"  Angela  re- 
plied. "  I  like  it,  Ninfa,  and  some  day  I  mean  to 
join  the  protestantes.  I  have  a  beautiful  friend  who 
is  a  gringa.  She  taught  me  not  to  pray  to  Mary 
and  the  saints,  so  I  pray  only  to  Christ  now 
instead." 

"  Nobody  taught  me  that,"  Ninfa  said  sorrow- 
fully. "Then  are  you  a  Protestant,  Angelita?" 
she  asked. 

"  Not  yet,"  the  girl  answered  slowly.  "At  least, 
perhaps  in  my  heart  I  am,  but  I  cannot  declare 
myself  before  everybody." 

"Are  you  ashamed?"  Ninfa  asked  in  wonder. 
"  I  might  be  afraid  if  I  had  to  tell  my  grandmother 
such  a  thing  of  myself,  but  I  do  not  think  I  would 
be  ashamed." 


1 86  the  senora's  granddaughters 

*'  It  is  the  same  thing, ' '  Angela  replied.  ' '  Ashamed 
or  afraid,  you  would  find  it  hard  to  talk  about.  My 
mother  would  be  glad,  I  believe,  but  I  am  thinking 
of  the  schoolgirls.  I  could  not  bear  what  Carmen 
would  say." 

"  Why  did  not  the  americanos  come  to  Mexico 
and  teach  our  grandmothers?"  Ninfa  sighed.  "I 
like  their  religion  best,  because  I  can  understand 
everything  they  say  better  than  the  Latin  prayers 
and  hymns  the  priests  use,  but  I  do  not  see  how  I 
can  be  the  only  Protestant  in  the  family." 

"Girls!  girls!  did  you  not  hear  the  bell?"  a 
voice  called  from  a  dim  corner  of  the  corridor. 
"  Five  demerits  apiece  if  you  are  not  in  your  dor- 
mitories in  one  minute  more." 

Before  school  time,  the  next  morning,  the  Se- 
fiorita  Julia  took  a  few  moments  for  going  to  the 
library  in  search  of  several  Bibles  to  present  for 
Ninfa's  choice  later  in  the  day.  Not  finding  the 
key  to  the  library  door  in  its  place  in  the  office,  she 
hurried  on  to  the  room,  hoping  to  find  it  already 
opened.  Such  was  the  case,  but  she  was  unpre- 
pared for  its  occupants.  She  found  two  gentlemen 
standing  before  a  large  packing  case  partly  filled 
with  Bibles.  One  of  the  gentlemen  was  a  mission- 
ary, lately  returned  to  the  institute  from  a  tour 
through  the  State,  the  other,  a  Mexican,  in  the 
gown  and  hat  of  a  priest. 

As  the  lady  entered,   the  priest  turned  toward 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 87 

her  and  acknowledged  her  entrance  with  a  polite 
salutation.  Returning  his  greeting,  she  explained 
in  Spanish  to  the  American  that  she  had  come  for 
a  Bible  or  two,  but  would  return  later,  as  he  was 
occupied  with  a  visitor. 

"  I  beg  that  the  sefiorita  will  not  incommode 
herself,"  the  priest  said  courteously,  standing  aside 
from  the  box  and  waving  his  hand  deprecatingly. 
"  It  is  I  who  would  await  the  senorita's  conveni- 
ence." 

The  missionary  then  assisted  the  young  lady  in 
selecting  several  Bibles  from  the  box,  asking  her  in 
English  for  whom  the  books  were  intended. 

"For  Ninfa  Barreda,"  was  the  reply.  "Of  her 
own  accord  she  has  asked  to  buy  one." 

Neither  saw  the  start  given  by  the  priest,  nor  the 
strange  expression  that  flashed  across  his  face,  at 
the  distinct  mention  of  Ninfa's  name.  His  smile 
was  there,  however,  when  the  others  turned  from 
the  box,  and  his  manner  was  as  courteous  as  ever. 

"To  serve  you  !"  he  ejaculated,  bowing  low  in 
response  to  the  sefiorita's  word  of  leave-taking,  as 
she  went  out  of  the  library  with  the  Bibles  under 
her  arm.  Then  he  returned  to  his  business  with 
the  missionary. 

"  You  have,  then,  no  other  books  for  sale,  except 
the  little  tracts  and  the  Bibles?"  he  asked,  con- 
tinuing the  conversation  begun  before  the  senorita's 
entrance. 


1 88  the  senora's  granddaughters 

"No  others,"  was  the  reply. 

"  I  should  like  a  box  of  the  Bibles,  if  we  can 
agree  upon  the  price,"  the  priest  went  on,  glancing 
carefully  around  the  room.  "I  suppose  you  have 
many  more  besides  these." 

"None  at  present,"  the  American  answered, 
"except  those  large  ones  on  the  shelves,  which  we 
call  family  Bibles.  Of  these  smaller  ones  we  would 
not  care  to  sell  all  to  one  person,  I  think." 

"  Not  even  if  that  person  should  wish  to  buy 
them  to  distribute  gratis  among  his  parishioners?" 
the  priest  asked,  with  a  shadowy  smile. 

"No,  senor,"  was  the  brief  reply. 

The  priest  sighed,  glancing  up  and  down  the 
half-filled  shelves  around  him. 

"You  have  many  books,"  he  remarked.  "Your 
young  ladies  are  allowed  to  read  them,  I  suppose." 

"Certainly.  They  are  gifts  from  persons  inter- 
ested in  our  school,  and  have  been  sent  for  the 
benefit  of  the  pupils." 

"That  is  well,"  the  priest  commented,  nodding 
his  head  approvingly.  "And  may  I  ask,  do  you 
also  allow  the  sefioritas  to  read  the  Bible?" 

"Assuredly,"  the  missionary  replied.  "We  are 
very  glad  for  our  pupils  to  become  acquainted  with 
the  Bible.  We  find  it  a  wholesome  book  to  put 
into  young  girls'  hands."  This  last  was  said  in 
so  confident  a  tone  as  to  attract  the  notice  of  the 
priest. 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  I  S9 

"  I  suppose  you  make  presents  of  them  to  the 
ninas,"  he  remarked,  stooping  over  the  box  of 
books,  and  taking  one  of  the  Bibles  in  his  hand. 

"  Oh  yes,  they  are  given  as  prizes  in  Sunday- 
school,  sometimes.  Often,  however,  the  girls  like 
to  buy  their  own,  selecting  the  binding  and  the 
type." 

"  As  the  girl,  the  Senorita  Barreda,  will  do,"  the 
visitor  said,  turning  the  leaves  of  the  book  with 
nervous  fingers.  "  Excuse  me,"  he  added,  with 
careful  politeness ;  "I  merely  heard  the  name 
mentioned  by  the  senorita  who  was  in  here  a 
moment  ago." 

"Then  you  know  English,  sefior?" 

"  Oh,  a  very  little,  so  little  indeed  that  even  the 
pronunciation  of  our  Mexican  names  in  the  Eng- 
lish tongue  is  barely  intelligible  to  me.  To  prove 
this  to  you,  I  may  say  that  I  failed  to  understand 
distinctly  the  given  name  of  the  young  lady  men- 
tioned by  the  senorita.  Was  it  Luz  Barreda, 
senor?  " 

"  No,  we  have  no  pupil  of  that  name.  There  is 
more  than  one  young  lady  named  Luz,  but  they  are 
not  Barredas." 

"  Ah,  then,  I  was  mistaken.  This  young  lady  is 
perhaps  Maria  then.  They  also  were  mistaken  who 
informed  me  of  the  presence  here  of  a  Senorita 
Luz  Barreda.  She  is  perhaps  in  attendance  at  the 
school  of  the  monjas  across  the  street.      Pardon  my 


I9O  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

questions,  senor,  for  I  would  like  to  ask  one  more. 
This  young  lady,  Maria  Barreda,  has  she  no  sister 
here,  or  cousin  perhaps,  of  the  name  Barreda?  " 

"None  at  all,"  was  the  reply.  "  The  Barreda 
girl  is  from  the  far  south  and  has  no  relatives  in  the 
school,  nor  is  her  name  Maria." 

"Ah,  then,  my  questions  have  troubled  you  for 
nothing,"  the  priest  replied  with  a  cheerful  shrug  of 
the  shoulders.  "  But,  senor,  is  it  possible  that  you 
will  sell  me  none  of  your  Bibles?"  he  asked,  re- 
turning to  business  for  the  second  time.  The  mis- 
sionary gave  a  searching  look  into  the  man's  clean- 
shaven face,  and  before  that  look  the  priest's  eyes 
fell  uneasily  and  he  bent  lower  over  the  leaves  of 
the  Bible  open  upon  his  palm.  The  answer  was 
spoken  in  a  voice  as  courteous  as  that  of  the  ques- 
tioner. 

"  These  Bibles  are  already  appropriated  for  spe- 
cial uses  of  our  own,  senor.  In  a  few  weeks,  we 
may  expect  a  new  supply  ;  then,  if  you  still  desire 
to  secure  copies  for  free  distribution  among  your 
parishioners,  I  hope  you  will  call  again  and  allow 
us  to  serve  you.  Meanwhile,  will  you  do  me  the 
honor  of  accepting  the  volume  in  your  hand  as  a 
gift  from  myself?  " 

"  You  are  too  kind,"  the  priest  murmured  in 
some  confusion.  "  I  will  willingly  pay  for  the 
book,  senor." 

"Then  you  would  destroy  my  pleasure  in  mak- 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTlLLO  I9I 

ing  a  gift,"  the  American  replied  with  a  smile. 
"  Besides,  you  might  feel  that  you  had  the  right  to 
'  give  away '  to  some  parishioner  a  purchased 
Bible,  while  I  trust  that  you  will  retain  this  as  a 
gift  and  perhaps  even  read  it  for  the  sake  of — shall 
I  say,  an  acquaintance  who  wishes  you  well?  " 

The  priest's  shoulders  were  again  shrugged  ex- 
pressively, but  he  hastened  to  slip  the  book  into 
some  pocket  under  his  gown,  and  then  bowed  low 
over  the  missionary's  offered  hand. 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  gift,"  he  said  with  his  faint 
smile  wrinkling  his  face,  "  but  it  is  I  who  am  hon- 
ored in  receiving  so  valuable  a  present.  The 
clergy,  to  which  both  you  and  I  belong,  whatever 
the  difference  in  our  creeds,  are  surely  one  in  ven- 
eration of  the  Holy  Bible,  and  I  promise  you  to 
read  it.     Your  servant,  Juan  Zarco.     Adios,  senor.'* 

"  Adios,  Senor  Zarco,"  the  missionary  replied,  in 
his  turn  assuring  the  priest  of  his  entire  submission 
to  his  service,  and  after  the  interchange  of  a  few 
more  formal  compliments,  the  iron  gates  closed 
between  them.  While  the  missionary  turned  away 
to  close  the  library,  the  priest  stood  for  a  moment 
on  the  garden  walk  beyond  the  iron  gates,  and 
made  a  leisurely  survey  of  the  garden  and  of  the 
windows  opening  upon  it.  Drooping  umbrella 
trees  made  dark  patches  of  shade  upon  the  grass, 
and  here  and  there  roses  bloomed  on  the  sturdy 
rose  trees.     Though    the    grass    was    luxuriant  in 


192  THE   SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

growth  and  the  trees  in  full  leaf,  from  the  constant 
wetting  of  little  streams  of  water  trickling  from  an 
invisible  pipe,  leaves  and  grass-blades  wore  a  dingy 
coat  of  dust  from  the  unpaved  street.  The  sun 
was  high  above  the  mountains  by  this  time,  and 
its  heat  was  oppressive. 

After  a  glance  over  the  garden  and  then  at  the 
heavily  barred  and  shuttered  windows,  the  priest 
looked  backward  into  the  cool  depths  of  the  hall 
which  he  had  just  left.  Instead  of  penetrating  the 
court,  with  its  honeysuckle  arch  and  rose  trellis 
framing  a  view  of  the  fountain  in  the  midst,  his 
gaze  was  intercepted  by  a  high  and  solid  partition 
of  wood,  built  across  the  farther  end  of  the  hall 
and  having  a  narrow  door  in  the  center.  He 
frowned,  then  turned  and  walked  slowly  along  the 
front  of  the  building,  and  passed  out  into  the 
street. 

A  narrow  sidewalk  bordered  the  garden  and  in- 
stitute on  that  side,  and  turning  his  face  toward  the 
rusty  dome  of  the  cathedral,  lifted  against  the  blue 
sky,  Senor  "Juan  Zarco  "  paced  meditatively  past 
the  windows  of  the  outer  tier  of  rooms,  which  were 
so  close  upon  the  sidewalk  that  the  priestly  gown 
swept  the  dust  from  their  iron  bars  and  stone 
ledges. 

Most  of  the  shutters  were  closed.  Behind  those 
of  one  window  he  heard  the  babble  of  a  baby's 
voice  and  the  splashing  of  water  in  a  bath.     The 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 93 

sound  of  a  piano  came  from  windows  farther  on 
and  as  the  man  reached  the  first  of  these,  opening 
into  one  of  the  music  rooms,  he  found  one  leaf  of 
the  shutters  slightly  ajar. 

An  open  window  in  a  Mexican  street  is  con- 
sidered by  some  persons  as  an  invitation  for  a  pass- 
ing glance  inside.  The  priest  gave  more  than  that 
as  he  paused  outside  of  those  projecting  bars.  Not 
a  passer-by  was  in  sight  The  windows  across  the 
street  were  closed  against  the  dust.  From  inside 
the  music  room  came  the  clear  notes  of  a  piano 
finger  exercise,  accompanied  by  the  droning  sound 
of  a  girl's  voice  counting,  "one,  two,  three,  four," 
over  and  over  again.  No  teacher  was  present,  so 
far  as  the  priest  could  see  within  his  limited  angle 
of  vision. 

The  light  from  broad  panes  of  glass  set  in  the 
upper  panels  of  the  shutters  fell  brightly  over  the 
music  book  on  the  piano  rack  and  over  the  girl's 
head  bent  slightly  over  the  book. 

"  It  is  she,  of  all  others ! "  the  priest  muttered  to 
himself.  "  And  if  at  this  hour  to-day,  why  not  at 
the  same  time  to-morrow  ?  I  must  go  to  my  room 
and  think  it  out." 

With  something  headlong  in  his  speed,  "Senor 
Zarco"  walked  rapidly  away.  He  hurried  through 
the  narrow  lane,  frowned  down  upon  by  the  gloomy 
wall  of  the  cathedral,  bared  his  head  mechanically 
as  he  passed  the  open  gates,  stumbling  blindly  over 


194  THE    SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

the  outstretched  leg  of  a  crippled  beggar  sunning 
himself  against  the  wall,  and  then  more  slowly 
mounted  a  street  on  the  left  of  the  cathedral. 

"  I  have  not  managed  well,"  he  meditated  as  he 
ascended  the  street.  "  The  sefiora  herself  would 
have  used  more  finesse.  Here  am  I,  branded  with 
a  false  name  at  my  first  encounter  with  that  man 
of  wits,  whom  of  all  others  I  should  have  preferred 
to  avoid  just  now.  That  name  was  given  from  a 
sudden  instinct  for  concealment  on  my  part,  yet  it 
was  hardly  necessary,  considering  the  part  I  have 
to  play.  Under  that  name  I  shall  not  be  able  to 
ask  for  an  interview  with  the  nina,  valgame  Dios  ! 
She  is  buying  a  Bible  and  passing  from  under  any 
influence  I  might  have  over  her.  She  is  young 
and  therefore  trustful  of  those  whom  she  loves, 
and  distrustful  of  whom  she  dislikes.  The  truth 
about  the  other  nifia  cannot  fail  to  be  discovered 
ere  long  ;  she  will  act  hastily  in  the  matter,  and 
what  might  have  been  accomplished  by  my  careful 
management  will  be  frustrated  by  the  headstrong 
eagerness  of  a  girl,  assisted  by  the  partisanship  of 
the  protestantes.  Of  course,  they  would  conde- 
scend to  any  measures  rather  than  yield  one  of 
their  number  to  the  embraces  of  her  own  family, 
if  that  family  were  faithful  to  the  Holy  Mother 
Church. 

"  Caramba  !  the  sefiora  will  think  me  a  fool,  and 
with  all  these  letters  of  proof  in  my  pocket  too  ! 


AMERICANOS    OF    SALTILLO  1 95 

Not  one  word  shall  I  write  to  her  until  there  be 
certain  tidings  of  some  sort.  Bah  !  what  is  to 
hinder  the  Protestant  rogues  from  escaping  a 
second  time,  and  once  over  the  Rio  Grande, 
Saint  Justus  himself  would  not  be  able  to  find 
them." 

Sefior  "Juan  Zarco "  entered  the  door  of  his 
lodging  with  a  dull  pain  in  his  head,  a  burden 
upon  his  spirits,  and  an  unaccustomed  weight  in 
the  pocket  of  his  gown. 


PART  III 

HOMING  TREASURES 


God  's  in  his  heaven, 
All  's  right  with  the  world 

— Robert  'Browning 


I 


INDEPENDENCE  DAY,  the  sixteenth  of  Sep- 
tember, passed  joyfully  over  the  republic. 
Shouts  of  "  Viva  la  Independencia  de  Mexico" 
were  not  confined  to  the  corridors  of  the  Instituto 
Madero.  From  the  Rio  Grande  on  the  north  to 
the  borders  of  Central  America  on  the  south,  there 
were  ready  responses  to  the  loyal  cry,  echoing  from 
every  city  and  village,  in  honor  of  the  old-time 
patriot,  Hidalgo. 

Everywhere  in  Mexico,  save  in  the  hearts  of  cer- 
tain opposers  of  their  country's  true  freedom,  there 
have  been  rejoicings  on  this  day  since  the  forever- 
to-be-remembered  September  sixteenth,  eighteen 
hundred  and  ten,  when  the  Grito  de  Dolores1 
issued  from  a  patriot  priest's  lips  and  rang  freedom 
from  ocean  to  ocean.  Perfect  freedom,  in  the  full- 
est sense,  is  not  yet ;  but  steadily  the  light  advances, 
the  fetters  yield,  and  some  day  Mexico  will  be 
"free  indeed." 

Of  course  the  Madero  Institute  celebrated  the 
sixteenth  of  September  as  a  holiday,  and  in  the 
afternoon  the  girls  were  escorted  on  the  usual  ex- 

1  Hidalgo's  cry  :  "  Long  live  the  independence  of  Mexico,"  in 
the  town  of  Dolores. 

197 


I98  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

pedition  to  the  Alameda.  There  they  heard  as 
little  as  possible  of  the  open-air  speeches,  and  pat- 
ronized to  the  best  of  their  ability  the  sweetmeat 
men  and  the  venders  of  cooling  drinks.  There 
was  the  beautiful  music  of  the  Mexican  bands  and 
the  endless  parade  of  Mexican  troops  to  vary  the 
hours  of  the  afternoon,  and  at  six  o'clock  a  long 
line  of  tired  girls  tramped  back  to  the  institute, 
with  little  appetite  for  supper,  yet  indefatigable  of 
tongue  and  gesture. 

A  promenade  in  the  illuminated  Plaza  de  Inde- 
pendencia,  followed  in  the  evening.  Each  teacher 
had  in  charge  a  squad  of  girls,  clad,  some  in 
freshly  ironed  cotton,  "and  some  in  velvet  gowns." 

Round  and  round  the  plaza,  tripped  sefioras  and 
sefioritas  ;  round  and  round,  though  in  the  opposite 
direction,  marched  the  sefiors  and  sefioritos.  No 
doubt  it  seemed  to  half-exhausted  chaperons  as  if 
their  young  charges  would  never  weary,  so  tireless 
was  the  tread  of  little  high-heeled  boots,  so  bright 
the  eyes  sparkling  beneath  hat-brim,  or  fringe  of 
uncovered  hair. 

By  ten  o'clock,  however,  every  institute  girl  was 
safely  housed  within  the  school  walls  and  lights  were 
out  at  eleven,  though  the  merrymaking  in  plaza 
and  street  did  not  come  to  an  end  with  the  with- 
drawal of  even  so  many  bright  eyes  from  the  festive 
scene. 

Late  into  the  night  there  was  one  girl  awake, 


HOMING    TREASURES  199 

who  could  not  forget  in  sleep  the  rhythm  of  the 
band  music,  nor  the  flutter  of  ribbons  and  of  hearts. 
Ninfa  envied  Lucita  her  power  of  instantly  falling 
asleep  after  the  last  interchange  of  "good-night 
love-words."  The  tired  girl  had  not  waited  for  the 
candles  to  be  extinguished  before  closing  her  eyes 
and  sinking  into  an  exhausted  sleep. 

"  Now  I  am  just  as  tired  as  you  are,  Luz  Rubio," 
Ninfa  confided  into  her  companion's  sleep-deafened 
ear ;  "  but  we  are  so  different  in  some  things. 
When  you  are  tired,  your  face  grows  white  and 
dark  circles  come  under  your  eyes.  You  flop 
down  and  go  to  sleep  right  away.  But  I  get  wider 
and  wider  awake  every  moment,  while  my  feet 
ache  and  my  head  feels  like  a  merry-go-round. 
Caramba !  those  new  shoes  have  very  high  heels. 
The  sefiorita  said  I  ought  not  to  wear  them  to- 
night because  no  one  in  the  crowd  would  really  see 
them,  and  she  knew  just  how  my  poor  feet  would 
hurt  afterward.  Oh,  how  my  face  burns,  and  I 
know  I  shall  never  close  my  eyes  again  ! " 

She  tossed  restlessly,  long  after  the  dormitory 
had  grown  hushed  and  dark.  There  was  another 
cause  for  Ninfa' s  uneasiness  besides  that  given  by 
her  poor  little  pinched  toes,  which  will  ere  long 
appear.  She  would  have  been  glad  to  wake  L,uz 
and  share  her  perplexity  with  her,  if  she  had  dared. 
But  she  did  not  dare,  and  meanwhile  the  stillness 
of  Lucita's  figure  close  beside  her  made  her  really 


200  THE   SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

nervous.  At  length  in  desperation  she  slipped 
from  the  bed  and  stood  with  her  bare  feet  on 
the  floor.  No  one  else  in  the  room  was  awake. 
Through  the  bars  of  the  doors  she  could  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  court,  dimly  lighted  by  the  stars, 
and  the  tinkle  of  the  fountain  broke  the  stillness. 
Far  away  there  were  sounds  of  fireworks  and  of 
band  music,  but  the  noise  of  occasional  passers-by 
in  the  street  scarcely  penetrated  this  inside  tier  of 
rooms.  Ninfa  caught  up  a  thick  shawl  lying  across 
the  foot  of  her  bed,  and  wrapping  it  around  her 
white  gown,  stole  noiselessly  to  one  of  the  doors. 
This  she  found  unbolted  as  usual,  for  within  the 
court  and  corridors  of  the  building,  after  the  outer 
gates  were  closed,  the  occupants  were  as  safe  as  if 
protected  by  castle  wall  and  tower,  or  so  considered 
themselves. 

The  stones  outside  were  pleasant  to  Ninfa's 
burning  feet  as  she  crossed  the  corridor  and  court 
to  the  fountain.  She  sat  down  on  the  step  run- 
ning around  its  base  and  let  the  night  wind  cool 
her  feet,  while  she  dipped  her  hand  into  the  water 
again  and  again  and  bathed  her  flushed  cheeks  and 
beating  temples. 

Now  and  then  the  sky  would  light  up  with  the 
flare  of  rockets,  or  the  burning  of  calcium  lights. 
The  stars  would  seem  to  "go  out,"  and  yet  when 
the  flash  was  gone  there  they  were,  peacefully 
bright  as  ever. 


HOMING    TREASURES  201 

Ninfa  grew  refreshed  and  then  sleepy,  and  was 
even  nodding  as  she  sat,  when  the  street  seemed 
suddenly  filled  with  a  rush  of  footsteps  and  a  babel 
of  voices.  She  roused  herself  and  sat  listening 
fearfully  to  the  uproar.  It  was  only  the  home- 
going  of  hundreds  of  pleasure  seekers  at  the  gen- 
eral breaking  up  of  the  concourse  in  the  plaza  and 
adjoining  streets,  but  Ninfa  did  not  know  this. 

In  the  midst  of  cries  of  "  Viva  la  Independencia 
de  Mexico"  "  Viva  la  Virgen  de  Guadalupe,"  and 
others,  one  different  from  all  the  rest  swelled  high 
above  them. 

"Que  mueran  los  protestantes"x  was  shouted 
hoarsely  again  and  again,  perhaps  by  some  party 
of  students  in  the  throng  roused  to  a  pitch  of  re- 
ligious fervor  while  passing  the  institute. 

With  a  frightened  cry  Ninfa  stopped  her  ears 
and  sped  across  the  court  to  the  shelter  of  the  dor- 
mitory. Once  inside,  she  heard  the  uproar  with 
less  distinctness  and  by  the  time  she  had  drawn 
the  bed-covering  closely  about  her  ears  the  voices 
came  as  from  a  distance,  and  there  was  no  more 
such  disturbance  that  night. 

Ninfa  cuddled  close  to  Lucita,  like  a  little  lost 
chick  restored  to  its  mother-wing.  In  her  sleep 
Lucita  wrapped  the  small,  shivering  body  in  her 
arms  and  Ninfa  sighed  contentedly.  Her  last 
thought  before  falling  asleep  was  this  : 

1  "Death  to  the  Protestants," 


202      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"  I  should  be  afraid — oh,  I  know  I  should — to 
be  a  Protestant !  How  those  men  howled,  like 
hounds  at  the  hunt !  Perhaps,  though,  with  Luz 
close  by,  I  might  be  brave,  because  I  do  believe 
she  is  right  and  the  senoritas  too,  about  the  good 
God  and  Mary's  Son." 

After  "the  sixteenth  "  school  work  was  wont  to 
be  undertaken  with  renewed  diligence  in  prepara- 
tion for  the  public  examinations  to  take  place  be- 
fore the  closing  of  the  school  in  mid-November. 
Circumstances  had  already  combined,  however,  to 
interfere  seriously  with  the  thorough  work  promised 
themselves  by  two  of  the  girls. 

Hitherto  Lucita  Rubio  had  followed  a  very  even 
course  in  school.  Her  home  life  had  been  un- 
eventful and  her  school  life  successful.  It  had  not 
been  difficult  for  her,  at  any  time,  to  lead  her 
classes,  as  she  had  a  natural  inclination  toward  the 
attainment  of  perfection  in  anything  undertaken  by 
her.  Her  disposition  was  sunny  and  patient,  and 
the  care  and  cleanliness  to  which  she  had  grown 
accustomed  during  her  life  at  the  mission  school 
had  fostered  the  native  nicety  of  her  manners 
and  person.  The  schoolgirls  declared  that  Lucita 
looked  like  a  princess  in  her  everyday  clothes,  for 
her  manner  of  stepping  through  corridor  or  street 
and  the  carriage  of  her  well-shaped  head  were  full 
of  grace,  while  no  faded  rebozo  nor  cotton  gown 


HOMING    TREASURES  203 

could  deaden  the  clearness  of  her  complexion  or 
dim  the  soft  lustre  of  her  gray  eyes.  Her  voice 
was  low  and  musical  in  speech — a  full  alto  in  song. 
Her  heart  was  filled  to  overflowing  with  love  for 
those  who  gave  her  love,  and  though  she  was  already 
more  womanly  than  Ninfa  in  her  sympathies,  there 
was  much  of  the  same  artlessness  and  simplicity  in 
each  of  the  girls.  Where  Ninfa  was  petulant  with 
fortune's  slights,  Lucita  was  only  patient,  yet  both 
were  ready  to  enjoy  to  the  utmost  the  good  things 
of  this  world. 

The  Sefiorita  Julia  met  Lucita  in  the  corridor 
one  Saturday  morning  in  the  following  October,  as 
she  was  about  to  enter  the  sewing  class  with  her 
embroidery  frame  in  her  hands.  The  sefiorita  was 
a  little  pale,  but  her  hand  was  cool  and  firm  as  she 
laid  it  on  Lucita' s  to  arrest  her  progress. 

"  I  have  asked  the  Sefiorita  Concha  to  excuse 
you  this  morning,"  she  said.  "Come  to  my  room, 
Luz ;  I  have  something  to  tell  you." 

Lucita  obeyed  immediately,  following  the  lady's 
hasty  steps  with  wonder  in  her  face.  A  slight 
droop  of  the  corners  of  her  mouth  was  the  only 
manifestation  of  her  disappointment  at  the  inter- 
ruption of  her  work. 

This  weekly  sewing  class  was  attended  by  all  the 
girls,  with  mending  of  all  kinds  to  be  done,  while 
fancy  work  of  embroidery,  crocheting,  or  drawn- 
work  was  taught  by  a  Mexican  lady. 


204  THE   SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

As  Lucita  was  accustomed  to  spend  each  second 
Saturday  at  home,  she  had  but  half  the  opportunity 
enjoyed  by  the  other  girls  for  completing  work  on 
hand.  Just  now  she  and  Ninfa  were  engaged  on 
similar  bits  of  work,  the  embroidering  of  wreaths  of 
forget-me-nots  in  blue  silk  in  the  corners  of  hand- 
kerchiefs, Ninfa's  to  be  presented  to  her  grand- 
mother, and  Lucita's  an  order  from  one  of  the 
teachers.  Lucita's  commencement  dress  of  white 
cambric  was  to  be  bought  with  the  proceeds  of  this 
piece  of  embroidery,  and  she  was  anxious  to  com- 
plete her  task  and  begin  the  stitching  of  the  long 
seams  for  the  skirt  of  her  new  dress. 

"  Your  mama  came  to  see  me  last  night  after  study 
hour,  Lucita,"  were  the  sefiorita's  first  words,  when 
both  had  seated  themselves  in  the  teacher's  room. 
"  I  found  her  at  my  door  when  I  returned  to  my 
room.  The  corridor  was  dark  and  you  did  not  see 
her  sitting  on  my  doorstep.  She  came  while  we 
were  in  the  schoolroom  and  waited  to  speak  with 
me.  You  remember  that  you  went  directly  to 
your  bed  after  studying,  and  when  I  looked  into 
the  dormitory  after  your — after  Dona  Teresa  had 
left,  you  were  already  asleep." 

•"  Then  mama  did  not  wish  to  see  me  ?  "  Lucita 
said,  with  a  hurt  quiver  in  her  voice.  "  I  should 
think  she  might  have  at  least  saluted  me.  But 
perhaps  something  is  wrong.  Tell  me  quick,  se- 
fiorita,  is  my  papa  ill,  or  my  little  brother?  " 


HOMING    TREASURES  205 

"  Don  Luis  is  not  quite  so  well  as  usual,  Lucita," 
was  the  reply.  "He  has  not  been  able  to  be  out 
of  bed  for  some  days.  If  he  does  not  get  better 
soon,  I  think  we  shall  have  to  let  you  go  home  to 
see  him  during  next  week.  But  it  was  he  who 
sent  Dona  Teresa  here  to  tell  me  something  which 
is  very  surprising  to  me,  and  which  will  be  even 
more  so  to  you." 

"Does  my  papa  wish  me  to  know  if?"  Lucita 
asked.  "  Why  did  not  mama  come  to  me,  then, 
if  I  was  to  be  told  also  ?  " 

"They  wished  me  to  tell  you,  my  dear.  It  was 
very  hard  for  your  mama  to  tell  me.  She  could 
not  have  told  you,  she  said.  Don  Luis  will  not  be 
happy  now  until  you  know  a  secret  which  has  been 
kept  from  you  for  long,  long  years." 

Lucita  left  her  seat  and  came  nearer  to  the  se- 
fiorita, kneeling  at  her  feet  and  looking  steadily  into 
the  anxious  face  studying  her  own. 

"  Now  tell  me  everything,  sefiorita,  without  any 
more  explanations,"  she  pleaded.  "Papa  has  some 
dreadful  disease  that  is  going  to  kill  him  ;  is  not 
that  it  ?  And  you  are  trying  to  prepare  me  for  it. 
I  am  ready  to  hear  about  it  and  I  wish  you  would 
make  haste  and  tell  me." 

"  It  is  only  rheumatism  from  which  he  is  suffer- 
ing, my  child,"  the  sefiorita  hastened  to  reply;  "but 
the  doctor  says  there  is  some  danger  of  its  reaching 
his  heart.      Luz,  he  has  suffered  a  long  time,"  she 


206  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

continued,  her  voice  breaking  a  little,  as  the  girl 
leaned  her  elbows  upon  her  knee  for  support  in 
her  kneeling  and  clasped  her  hands  together,  while 
her  eyes  were  still  fixed  upon  the  speaker's  face. 
"  Dona  Teresa  tells  me  that  he  has  had  rheuma- 
tism, now  and  then,  since  he  was  a  young  man. 
The  dampness  of  their  house  in  the  south  of 
Mexico  made  him  very  ill  once  soon  after  their 
marriage,  and  he  never  fully  recovered,  as  you 
know.  Did  you  not  know  that  your  parents  were 
from  the  south,  Lucita?  " 

"Si,  senorita,  for  I  was  born  there.  Is  papa, 
then,  going  to  die  very  soon?  "  she  asked  steadily. 

"  No,  not  yet,  Luz.  And  it  was  not  of  that 
that  he  wished  me  to  speak  to  you." 

"Then  Pepito  is  sick.  Ah,  I  have  been  fearing 
for  Pepito.  He  is  very  little  and  weak,  and  so 
many  of  my  little  brothers  have  died." 

"  No,  no  ;  he  is  well,  and  he  smiled  happily  at 
me  as  I  tickled  his  cheek  last  night.  I  think  he  is 
growing  nicely  now,  and  some  day — who  knows  ? — 
he  may  be  your  mother's  comfort  and  support 
Now  remember,  Lucita,"  the  teacher  went  on  in  an 
altered  voice,  "  that  what  I  am  about  to  say  is  said 
at  the  special  request  of  Don  Luis,  and  you  must 
think  of  this  fact  afterward  as  a  proof  of  how  much 

he  loves  you,  as  if  you  were  his  own  daughter 

Wait  and  hear  me  before  you  speak,  my  child." 

Then  the  Senorita  Julia  related  to  Lucita  all  that 


HOMING    TREASURES  207 

Dona  Teresa  knew  and  had  told  her  of  the  connec- 
tion of  her  fosterdaughter,  Luz,  with  the  Barreda 
family.  Lucita  learned,  that  Teresa's  pretty  little 
friend,  Manuela  Valdivia,  had  been  captivated  by 
the  charms  and  courtship  of  Don  Vicente,  the 
handsome  blonde  youth  of  El  Dorado,  and  that 
she  had  ridden  away  with  him  as  his  bride  from 
the  humble  village  of  Las  Rosas,  blessed  by  the 
priest  of  the  parish  church,  all  ignorant  of  the  cold 
welcome  to  be  hers  in  the  home  of  her  husband  ; 
that  she  had  returned,  less  than  three  years  later, 
to  find  a  fever-stricken  village  and  a  father  dying 
of  the  fever,  while  her  old  mother  lay  already  dead 
of  another  disease,  similar  to  that  now  destroying 
Don  Luis  ;  that  Manuela  had  brought  but  one  of 
her  twin  babies  with  her,  the  little,  delicate,  fair- 
haired  Luz ;  that  the  young  mother  had  died  a 
week  later,  in  an  agony  of  distress  concerning  both 
her  babies  ;  and  that  Dona  Teresa's  own  little  Luz 
having  perished  during  the  first  days  of  the  fever, 
the  bereaved  mother  had  taken  into  her  empty 
arms  the  motherless  infant  as  it  lay  gasping  in  the 
fever. 

There  had  been  no  time  to  secure  directions 
from  Manuela  as  to  the  baby's  return  to  its  father's 
people,  for  the  dying  woman's  thoughts,  at  the  last, 
had  run  only  upon  the  sickness  seizing  her  child. 
Therefore,  having  received  the  priest's  sanction  to 
her  adoption  of  the  sick   baby,   Teresa  with   her 


208  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

husband  and  several  neighbors  had  fled  from  the 
village.  The  priest  had  been  convinced  of  the 
certain  death  to  follow  his  last  glimpse  of  the  little 
one,  and  he  had  only  hastened  the  party  in  its 
flight  to  higher  ground  among  the  hills.  After  a 
year  of  intermittent  journeying  northward,  Don 
Luis  and  his  little  family  had  finally  reached  Sal- 
tillo,  where  they  decided  to  remain  and  work  for 
the  little  girl  who  had  taken  the  place  of  their  own 
Luz. 

"For  you  did  not  die,  Lucita,"  the  sefiorita  con- 
cluded, pausing  to  see  the  effect  of  her  story  upon 
the  listening  girl. 

No  answer  followed,  and  on  examining  the  face 
which  had  drooped  upon  her  knee,  the  sefiorita  dis- 
covered that  Lucita  had  fainted. 


II 


THE  swoon  lasted  but  a  few  seconds,  for  instead 
of  losing  time  by  calling  for  assistance,  the 
sefiorita  quickly  laid  Luz  at  full  length  on  the  floor 
and  bathed  her  face  with  cold  water.  Presently 
the  gray  eyes  opened  and  looked  into  the  anxious 
face  above  them. 

"Now  you  are  better,"  the  teacher  said  softly; 
"  but  you  must  not  get  up  just  yet.  I  will  slip  this 
little  cushion  under  your  head  and  you  may  lie 
still  on  the  cool  matting." 

"  Did  I  go  to  sleep?"  Luz  asked  weakly.  "It 
seems  to  me  that  you  were  telling  me  something 
that  made  my  head  feel  a  little  sick.  Ah,  I  am  re- 
membering now."  She  lay  with  her  eyes  closed, 
her  features  working  piteously,  and  the  tears  rolling 
down  her  cheeks  from  beneath  the  long,  dark  eye- 
lashes. . 

"Are  you  not  glad  to  find  such  a  sister  as 
Ninfa?"   the  sefiorita  asked. 

"Is  she  my  sister,  really  and  truly?  How  does 
mama  know  that  the  other  woman,  Manuela,  you 
called  her,  had  a  child  named  Ninfa?  And  if  she 
had,  how  do  you  and  she  know  that  it  is  this 
Ninfa?"   Luz  asked,  her  voice  still  trembling. 

o  209 


2IO  THE    SENORA S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"  Do  you  not  remember  that  Ninfa  herself  loves 
to  tell  the  story  of  her  little  twin-sister,  who  she 
thinks  died  of  the  same  fever  which  killed  her 
mother — your  mother  also,  Luz?  Besides,  Dona 
Teresa  and  Don  Luis  knew  Ninfa' s  father,  Vicente 
Barreda,  very  well,  and  they  know  it  was  his  child 
they  had  taken.  They  did  it  to  save  your  life,  you 
know,  my  dear,  and  they  have  been  as  devoted  as 
your  own  parents  could  have  been." 

"  Do  you  think  I  need  to  have  you  tell  me  that, 
sefiorita?"  Lucita  exclaimed,  sitting  up  suddenly, 
with  blood  enough  in  her  cheeks  now,  and  her 
eyes  shining.  "  For  my  part,  I  shall  never  think 
of  them  as  any  other  than  my  own  dear  parents. 
Mama  can  never  be  only  Dona  Teresa  to  me,  and 
as  for  papa — but  is  it  all  quite  certain,  sefiorita, 
certain  enough  for  me  to  tell  Ninfa?  " 

"  Quite  certain  enough,  Lucita.  But  I  think 
you  must  wait  before  telling  Ninfa,  perhaps,  until 
we  hear  from  the  Senora  Barreda,  your  grand- 
mother, to  whom  I  wrote  last  night,  at  Dona 
Teresa's  request.  She  will  probably  have  instruc- 
tions for  us  in  the  matter.  Do  you  think  you  can 
keep  the  secret  a  little  while,  Lucita,  even  from 
your  own  sister?  " 

Lucita  smiled  and  nodded,  then  her  face  clouded 
over  again.  "Did  mama  not  seem  a  little  sorry 
about  it  all,  sefiorita  ? "  she  asked  in  a  troubled 
voice.     "  I  cannot  understand  what  any  of  it  means, 


HOMING    TREASURES  211 

except  that  I  am  not  mama ' s  daughter  any  longer, 
and  am  Ninfa's  sister  instead,  but  papa  and  mama 
must  have  had  some  reason  for  telling  their  secret 
now.      Did  she  look  a  little  sad,  sefiorita,  or  cry?  " 

"  You  can  never  know,  Luz,  what  this  acknowl- 
edgment has  cost  them,"  the  sefiorita  replied 
gravely.  "Your  mama  was  heartbroken  as  she 
confided  all  to  me,  and  said  that  if  it  had  been  left 
to  her  she  did  not  think  she  would  ever  have 
given  you  back  to  your  real  relatives,  to  whom,  of 
course,  you  belong." 

Luz  started  at  the  last  words  but  passed  them 
by  as  she  replied  :  "  I  shall  be  their  daughter  as 
long  as  I  live,  and  Pepito  shall  be  my  brother. 
Nothing  can  ever  change  it,  not  even — no,  not 
even  Ninfa's  being  my  sister." 

One  more  question  was  asked  and  answered,  for 
Luz  could  not  understand  why  her  parents  should 
be  making  their  confession  at  this  late  day,  when 
nothing  had  happened  to  any  one  to  require  it, 
and  when  she  herself  was  happier  as  Ninfa's  friend 
than  she  could  possibly  be  as  her  sister,  consider- 
ing all  the  separations  and  complications  suggested 
by  this  strange  revelation. 

"Your  father  has  not  for  a  long  time  been 
happy  about  the  secret  they  were  carrying,"  the 
sefiorita  said  solemnly,  in  answer  to  the  question, 
"  and  now  that  he  is  ill,  he  wishes  any  settlement 
that  ought  to  be  made,  made  at  once.     I  think  you 


212 

can  appreciate  his  wishing  to  do  what  is  right, 
Lucita,  even  if  that  should  threaten  the  perfect 
happiness  of  his  home.  You  have  been  a  good 
daughter  to  them,  my  dear  child." 

Luz  rose  to  her  feet,  pale  yet  strong  again. 
"Thank  you  for  telling  me  all  about  it,  sefiorita," 
she  said.  "  May  I  go  to  my  room  now  and  think 
awhile  about  what  it  all  means?  I  do  not  believe 
that  I  can  sew  this  morning,  with  my  head  so  con- 
fused." 

She  had  not  long  remained  in  the  quiet  of  the 
deserted  dormitory,  when  she  felt  a  soft  touch 
upon  her  cheek  as  she  lay  on  her  bed  with  closed 
eyes.  She  opened  her  eyes  to  see  Ninfa's  con- 
cerned face  close  to  hers. 

"  I  thought  you  might  be  having  one  of  your 
headaches  again,"  the  girl  said,  "and  the  Sefiorita 
Concha  said  I  might  come  and  see  if  you  wanted 
anything.  It  does  ache  ?  Yes,  I  thought  so. 
Let  me  lay  this  wet  handkerchief  on  your  fore- 
head, and  then  I  will  let  you  go  to  sleep.  I  am 
going  to  take  your  frame  with  me  and  go  on  with 
your  embroidery,  because  I  am  not  in  a  bit  of  a 
hurry  about  mine." 

Ninfa  tripped  out  into  the  sunlight  again,  bear- 
ing her  sister's  embroidery  frame  with  her  and 
wondering  why  her  heart  seemed  to  swell  with  a 
certain  new  happiness,  strange  in  her  experience. 
Was   it  because   she   had  denied   Ninfa,  for  once, 


HOMING    TREASURES  213 

and  was  learning  to  think  of  another  before  her- 
self ?  A  novel  sensation,  truly,  for  the  spoiled 
girl,  yet  only  one  among  the  many  already  ex- 
perienced by  her  in  the  little  community  of  protes- 
tantes. 

Thus  it  is  explained  how  interruption  threatened 
the  hearty  studying  of  one  schoolgirl.  As  for 
Ninfa,  for  three  weeks  and  more,  she  had  had 
something  to  think  about  besides  books,  and  of  a 
much  more  absorbing  nature  to  a  romantic  girl 
than  the  multiplication  table  or  the  conjugation  of 
English  verbs.  Even  before  the  holiday  of  "  the 
sixteenth,"  it  had  begun. 

Ninfa  had  been  sitting  at  the  piano  one  morning 
at  her  usual  practice  hour,  and  hearing  a  slight 
sound  at  the  window  behind  her  had  turned  in 
time  to  see  a  wisp  of  white  paper  flutter  through 
the  half-open  shutter  and  fall  at  her  feet. 

Her  first  impulse  had  been  to  fly  to  the  window 
and  close  the  shutter,  before  even  touching  the 
note  on  the  floor.  After  the  window  had  been  se- 
cured and  she  had  hesitated  for  a  moment  or  two 
over  the  scrap  of  paper,  she  was  seized  with  a  vain 
regret  that  she  had  not  peeped  through  the  bars  in 
time  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  author,  or  at  least 
of  the  bearer  of  the  note.  It  was  too  late  now, 
for  no  one  bringing  a  surreptitious  note  to  one  of 
the  boarders  would  dare  linger  outside  after  accom- 
plishing his  mission.     Ninfa  consoled  herself,  there- 


214  THE    SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

fore,  with  a  speedy  perusal  of  the  note.  There 
was  no  signature  to  the  few  lines,  not  even  the 
initials  "A.  C."     They  read  as  follows: 

Be  careful.  The  wolves  are  hungry.  Do  not 
read  the  Bible  until  you  reach  home,  as  an  inno- 
cent lamb  needs  a  shepherd's  guidance  in  new 
pastures.  You  shall  hear  again  from  the  writer  of 
this.      Be  prudent  and  do  nothing  hastily. 

Ninfa  was  disappointed  in  this  billet  donx.  Why 
should  she  need  a  warning  to  "  do  nothing  hastily"  ? 
Bah  !  the  words,  with  their  underscorings,  smacked 
of  Padre  Justo  Prieto.  She  had  been  forgetting 
his  existence  until  reminded  by  Carmen's  words 
at  the  fountain,  and  here  it  was  again,  "  innocent 
lamb,"  "wolves."  This  anonymous  warning  about 
the  reading  of  the  Bible  had  come  too  late,  for  she 
had  immediately  fixed  upon  a  dark  green  volume 
with  large  print,  as  soon  as  the  sefiorita  had  offered 
several  for  her  choice,  and  had  already  read  several 
whole  chapters  in  it,  besides  committing  to  mem- 
ory many  verses.  She  would  always  close  the 
shutters  of  the  music  room  firmly  after  this,  and 
the  writer  of  the  note  might  find  other  means  of 
making  his  uninteresting  communications.  Per- 
haps, after  all,  the  message  had  been  meant  for 
some  one  else. 

For  a  week  Ninfa  held  to  her  resolve  to  keep 
the  shutters  closed  behind  her  during  her  morning 


HOMING    TREASURES  215 

practice  hour,  but  she  kept  the  note  hidden  away 
and  did  not  even  mention  the  matter  to  Lucita. 

Greatly  to  her  surprise  her  hour  for  practice  was 
suddenly  changed  just  before  Independence  Day, 
and  she  was  directed  to  use  henceforth  the  other 
piano,  occupying  an  inside  room  opening  only 
upon  the  court. 

In  the  crowd  at  the  Alameda,  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  holiday,  she  had  been  rudely  jostled  by  a  poorly 
clad  woman,  who  had  at  the  same  time  thrust  a 
bit  of  paper  into  her  hand.  Ninfa's  surprised 
fingers  had  closed  nervously  upon  this  paper,  and 
there  it  had  remained  in  a  close  grip  until  the 
girls  had  returned  to  the  institute  for  supper. 

Ninfa  had  managed  to  separate  herself  from  the 
other  girls  after  supper,  long  enough  to  spell  out 
the  penciled  lines,  now  scarcely  legible  on  the 
soiled  sheet. 

"  I  have  been  noticed  at  the  window,"  the  words 
ran,  "  and  must  have  other  means  of  communi- 
cating with  you.  Can  you  not  manage  to  speak 
with  me  at  night  perhaps,  at  a  window  or  door? 
The  bearer  of  this  will  be  at  the  front  door  to- 
morrow, at  eight  o'clock,  with  chocolate  to  sell. 
Buy  of  her,  and  give  the  money  wrapped  in  the 
paper  containing  your  answer.  A  matter  concern- 
ing the  happiness  of  your  whole  future  life  is  at 
stake,  and  much  time  has  already  been  wasted 
since  you  have  stayed  behind  closed  shutters.      If 


2l6  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

you  are  not  prompt  now,  a  great  wrong  may  be 
done  to  one  who  will  one  day  be  as  dear  to  you  as 
your  own  self." 

Ninfa  gasped  with  dismay  on  reading  these 
words.  Then,  tearing  the  paper  into  shreds,  she 
cast  the  pieces  from  her. 

"  I  will  not  do  such  a  thing,"  she  thought  to 
herself  trembling.  "  I  wish  I  dared  tell  Lucita ; 
but  she  thought  it  very  wrong  of  me  to  have  taken 
'A.  C.'s'  note,  and  I  do  not  believe  she  would  love 
me  any  more  if  I  should  let  her  know  that  this  is 
the  second  note  already  from  another  person, 
whose  name  I  do  not  know." 

So  she  kept  the  secret  to  herself,  strong  enough 
to  resist  the  temptation  of  buying  chocolate  on 
the  next  day,  when  the  girls  were  allowed  to  crowd 
around  the  woman  who  came  promptly  at  eight 
o'clock,  yet  she  was  too  timid  to  speak  to  Lucita 
or  to  any  of  the  teachers  about  the  matter. 

Many  times  during  the  days  following,  while 
seemingly  intent  upon  her  books,  she  was  wonder- 
ing whether  the  "great  wrong"  had  already  be- 
fallen the  mysterious  person  who  was  one  day  to 
be  as  dear  to  her  as  her  own  self.  All  were  well  at 
home,  her  grandmother,  Maria,  Guadalupe,  Pedro, 
the  parrot,  the  canary.  Certainly  the  warning 
could  not  have  come  from  them,  nor  could  it  have 
come  from  the  bonny  cavalier  of  the  red,  red 
horse,  and  whose  initials  were  "A.   C."     Even  if 


HOMING    TREASURES  217 

the  words  had  referred  to  him  as  "the  one  who," 
etc.,  surely  he  was  a  valiant  enough  knight  not  to 
need  the  good  offices  of  a  schoolgirl. 

So  the  weeks  passed  and  October  arrived. 

Each  girl's  secret  weighed  upon  her  mind  and 
distracted  her  thoughts  from  the  coming  examina- 
tions, and  still  no  letter  was  received  from  the 
Senora  Barreda  in  the  far  south. 

The  next  two  days  following  the  Saturday  on 
which  Lucita  had  learned  the  secret  of  her  birth 
passed  as  usual  in  the  school. 

Ninfa  had  heard  no  more  from  her  mysterious 
correspondent,  and  had  concluded  that  she  was 
judged  no  longer  worthy  of  attention.  Luz,  in  her 
new  thoughts,  tried  in  vain  to  fix  her  mind  upon 
her  studies  during  the  following  week,  and  she  felt 
that  she  could  not  long  bear  the  strain  imposed 
upon  her  by  the  senorita's  counsel.  There  seemed 
something  almost  dishonest  in  withholding  from 
Ninfa  the  truth  so  lately  revealed  to  herself,  and 
in  the  midst  of  this  feeling  there  was  a  sharp  re- 
gret, and  almost  a  morbid  self-reproaching,  in  her 
thoughts  of  her  foster-parents.  She  grew  fever- 
ishly anxious  for  the  next  Friday  to  arrive,  when 
she  should  go  home  for  her  fortnightly  visit.  The 
face  of  the  world  was  changed  for  Luz,  yet, 
though  its  present  aspect  seemed  to  promise 
strange  happiness  and  ease,  she  was  all  the  while 
true  enough  to  herself  to  feel  honest  sorrow  at  the 


2l8  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

change.  Her  thoughts  flew,  more  often  than  ever, 
to  the  poor  house  on  the  hill,  where  Don  Luis  sat 
crippled  and  helpless  and  counting  the  days  until 
the  time  for  her  next  visit,  where  Dona  Teresa  in- 
dustriously rolled  the  corn  between  two  stones, 
glad  to  be  able  to  support  the  family  until  the 
daughter  should  be  free  to  teach  the  ninas,  and 
where  Pepito  lay  in  his  scanty  clothing  sucking  his 
brown  thumb,  and  content  with  the  world  as  he 
found  it.  Could  she  ever  give  them  up?  Her 
one  consolation  in  all  the  tumult  of  her  mind,  was 
the  realization  that  whatever  must  come  it  had 
been  the  will  of  her  papa,  Don  Luis,  that  the 
truth  should  be  known,  and  that  she  had  nothing 
to  do  but  to  be  guided  by  those  who  were  wiser 
than  she. 

But  Don  Luis  in  his  pain,  and  Luz  in  hers,  were 
not  required  to  wait  until  Friday  for  relief. 

With  Wednesday  afternoon  came  a  summons  for 
Luz  to  hasten  to  the  dying  man's  bedside. 

Dona  Teresa  herself  came  with  the  message, 
leaving  a  friend  to  watch  with  her  husband  during 
her  absence.  She  whispered  into  the  Sefiorita 
Julia's  ear,  on  hurrying  away  from  the  school,  that 
her  husband  had  "  many  desires  to  see  the  girl 
Ninfa  Barreda,  if  only  for  a  moment,"  and  that  he 
would  esteem  it  a  great  favor  if  she  might  be 
allowed  to  accompany  Lucita,  as  soon  as  both  girls 
could  be  made  ready  for  the   street.     The   good 


HOMING    TREASURES  219 

woman  was  sent  away  with  the  promise  that  her 
husband's  request  should  be  granted,  and  she  had 
resumed  her  place  at  the  bedside  of  Don  Luis  but 
a  very  few  moments  before  the  teacher  and  the  two 
girls  arrived. 

Now  at  last  Lucita  found  that  she  had  no  room 
in  her  thoughts  for  anything  but  grief  over  her 
father's  suffering  and  approaching  death.  She  fell 
upon  her  knees  at  his  side,  while  the  visitors  stood 
by  in  pitiful  silence  after  receiving  his  first  greeting. 

Don  Luis  looked  from  Ninfa's  troubled  face  to 
Lucita's  and  shook  his  head  slowly. 

"  There  is  naught  alike  in  your  faces,"  he  whis- 
pered to  Luz.  "  Does  she  know?"  he  added,  with 
another  look  into  Ninfa's  face. 

"  Nothing,  papa"  was  the  reply.  "The  sefiorita 
said  that  we  must  wait  to  hear  from " 

"Yes,  I  know,"  Don  Luis  interposed.  Then  he 
spoke  to  Ninfa.  "  Come  nearer,  Sefiorita  Ninfa. 
My  eyes  are  perhaps  a  little  dimmed  and  I  wish  to 
see  your  face.  Ah,  I  was  right.  There  is  no  like- 
ness to  our  daughter — to  Luz.  Wife,  it  is  as  if 
Manuela  stood  before  us.  Have  you  not  noticed 
it?"  Teresa  nodded  dumbly.  "Wonderful !"  the 
sick  man  exclaimed  weakly.  "It  might  be  she, 
herself,  come  here  to  claim  her  child.  I  am  glad  it 
will  be  so  well  with  Luz.  Will  you  be  good  to  this 
girl,  Sefiorita  Ninfa,  when  I  am  dead?" 

Ninfa's  eyes  filled  with  tears  as   she   answered 


220      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

him  :  "  Do  not  doubt  it,  Don  Luis,  for  I  love  her 
with  all  my  heart." 

Don  Luis  smiled  and  then  sighed,  but  so  wearily 
that  the  Sefiorita  Julia  made  a  sign  of  farewell  to 
Teresa  and  quickly  led  Ninfa  out  of  the  house. 

"Why  did  Lucita's  father  wish  to  see  me?"  was 
Ninfa's  question  as  they  entered  the  street.  "And 
he  spoke  my  mother's  name  ;  did  he  know  my 
mother  once,  sefiorita?" 

Then  for  the  first  time  the  astonished  girl  learned 
that  Lucita's  parents  had  known  her  own,  when  all 
four  were  young  and  brave  and  happy  in  the  south  ; 
and  Ninfa  walked  homeward  at  the  teacher's  side, 
her  mind  filled  with  the  purpose  to  ask  Teresa  the 
questions  so  long  unanswered  by  her  grandmother. 

The  Sefiorita  Julia  seemed  able  to  tell  her  little 
beyond  the  fact  that  Ninfa's  mother  and  Teresa 
had  been  friends  in  their  girlhood,  having  grown  to 
womanhood  in  the  same  ranch  village  of  Las  Rosas, 
in  the  southwest.  What  joy  to  think  that  ere  long 
she  would  have  some  certain  knowledge  of  the 
young  mother,  to  whom,  as  she  had  for  the  first 
time  learned  that  day,  she  herself  bore  so  strange  a 
resemblance  that  a  dying  man  had  said  :  "  It  is  as 
if  Manuela  stood  before  us." 

Why  had  her  grandmother  never  told  her  this 
when,  over  and  over  again  Ninfa  had  heard  of  the 
wonderful  likeness  there  had  been  between  her 
twin  sister  and  their  papa  f 


Ill 

DON  LUIS  lay  on  the  rough  trestle  bed,  with 
only  a  thin  mattress  of  shavings  between  his 
suffering  body  and  the  hard  boards.  He  had  never 
been  accustomed  to  softness  in  any  shape,  poor 
man,  except  that  shining  from  Love's  eyes,  and  on 
this  last  night  of  his  life  there  were  other  things  for 
him  to  think  about  than  his  aching  bones.  His 
thick  shock  of  black  hair  had  been  shorn  close  to 
the  skin,  which  made  him  look  very  unlike  himself 
to  Lucita,  as  she  sat  at  his  side.  There  was  more 
than  the  shaven  head,  however,  to  give  a  strange- 
ness to  the  familiar  face.  There  was  a  new  light 
in  his  eyes  and  an  expression  of  peace  about  his 
mouth  not  often  seen  there  during  the  past  months 
of  his  suffering.  It  was  thus  with  him  between  the 
attacks  of  awful  pain  and  gaspings  for  breath. 
When  the  paroxysms  came  on  his  eyes  would  stare 
as  if  with  affright,  his  hollow  cheeks  would  seem  to 
sink  still  closer  inward,  while  the  breath  came  and 
went  between  his  bluish  lips  in  labored  pants. 

"Try  to  sleep,  papa"  Lucita  said,  during  one  of 
the  quiet  intervals  when  the  troubled  heart  was 
relieved  of  its  pain.  "You  have  not  slept  all  day, 
mama  says,   and  the  baby  is  quiet  now,  so  there 

221 


222 

will  be  nothing  to  disturb  you.  Mama  is  resting 
also,"  she  added,  with  a  look  over  her  shoulder  into 
the  dark  corner  where  two  figures  lay  curled  up  on 
a  mat  on  the  floor. 

"What  time  is  it,  Lucita?"  Don  Luis  asked  in 
his  faint  voice. 

"The  bells  have  just  struck  nine,  papa." 

"  Then  lay  your  head  on  the  pillow  beside  mine, 
hijita?  and  go  to  sleep  yourself.  As  for  me,  I  do 
not  wish  to  sleep  to-night." 

"Papa!"  Lucita  exclaimed  in  great  distress. 

"Since  we  have  talked  it  all  over  together,  Lu- 
cita, and  now  that  you  are  sure  that  you  love  us 
well,  even  though  not  a  drop  of  our  blood  runs  in 
your  veins,  I  am  filled  with  peace  and  quietness. 
Between  the  attacks  of  pain  I  am  at  ease,  and 
would  rather  lie  here  thinking  of  my  to-morrow 
than  wear  myself  out  trying  to  sleep.  But  it  is  not 
thus  with  you,  Luz.  You  look  pale  and  weary. 
Close  your  eyes,  girl,  and  I  will  watch  for  us 
both." 

Lucita  laid  her  head  upon  the  pillow,  as  Don 
Luis  had  bidden  her,  and  before  many  seconds  had 
passed  fell  into  a  troubled  sleep.  The  minutes 
grew  into  an  hour.  A  longer  interval  than  usual 
elapsed  between  the  spasms  of  suffering,  and  all 
was  still  in  the  little  room. 

A  small  lamp  burned  on  a  table,  and  the  win- 

1  Little  daughter. 


HOMING    TREASURES  223 

dow,  high  up  above  the  floor,  had  been  left  open 
to  give  the  dying  man  much-needed  air.  The 
door  into  the  hallway  was  also  open,  and  a  stream 
of  cool  air  entered  from  the  back  door  upon  the 
hillside.  No  chill  breath  of  night  would  ever  again 
harm  Don  Luis,  and  the  freshness  was  eagerly  in- 
haled by  his  oppressed  lungs. 

The  streets  were  silent  now,  and  the  chattering 
voices  of  neighbors  sitting  in  their  respective  corrals 
under  the  starlight,  were  growing  less  noisy,  when 
a  sudden  and  loud  scream  of  agony  startled  the 
sleepers  in  the  sick-room,  and  caused  many  who 
heard  it  outside  to  cross  themselves  fervently  and 
invoke  the  Virgin  in  prayer. 

"Holy  Mother  of  God!  who  can  it  be?"  a 
woman  exclaimed,  flinging  open  her  back  door 
and  gazing  out  into  the  darkness. 

"It  must  be  Luis  Rubio,"  her  husband  whispered 
at  her  side.  "  It  is  the  death  cry,  Antonia.  May 
heaven  rest  his  soul  ! " 

By  this  time  several  persons  had  opened  their 
doors  and  were  standing  on  the  rough  ground  be- 
hind the  row  of  houses,  all  with  startled  faces  turned 
toward  the  open  door  leading  into  Rubio's  house. 
No  other  sound  had  followed  the  scream  and,  as  if 
fascinated  beyond  their  powers  of  resistance  by  the 
deathlike  quiet  succeeding  it,  the  men  and  women 
crept  softly  toward  the  hallway  and  inside,  with 
staring  eyes  and  bated   breath.     The   fact  that  a 


224  THE  senora's  granddaughters 

protestante  had  been  dying  near  by  all  day,  far 
from  robbing  death  of  its  terrors  rather  added  to 
them,  and  the  neighbors  had  kept  themselves  aloof 
during  the  preceding  hours. 

It  seemed  too  bad,  they  whispered  now  among 
themselves,  that  two  lone  women  must  battle  with 
the  destroyer,  and  they  might  at  least  look  on  and 
be  ready  if  help  should  be  asked.  Perhaps  at  the 
last  Don  Luis  would  repent  and  agree  to  have  a 
priest  come  to  receive  his  confession  and  admin- 
ister the  sacrament. 

Fearfully  clutching  at  each  other's  garments 
these  spectators  stood  in  the  dusk  of  the  hall  and 
whispered  into  each  other's  ears  how  awful  a  thing 
it  was  to  die  outside  of  the  Holy  Church. 

"  Straight  to  hell  he  will  be  going,  if  he  does  not 
repent  and  confess,"  one  woman  said  to  another. 

"And  the  baby  to  limbo,  if  it  should  die,  poor, 
puny  thing.  For  they  will  not  have  it  baptized 
into  the  most  Holy  Church,  and  who  will  have  pity 
on  a  poor  Protestant  baby  in  limbo  ?  " 

Meanwhile  all  was  quiet  again  inside  the  sick- 
room. The  last  struggle  had  been  sharp,  wrench- 
ing from  the  man's  lips  that  one  cry  of  pain,  but  it 
had  been  mercifully  short  this  time.  Now  he  could 
smile  faintly  in  response  to  his  wife's  agonized 
questions,  and  his  cold  hand  feebly  pressed  Lucita's 
warm  one.  He. spoke  with  difficulty,  but  his  eyes 
were  as  clear  as  ever,  and  seeing  the  eager  faces 


HOMING    TREASURES  22  5 

pressing  forward  in  the  doorway  he  made  Luz  un- 
derstand that  he  wished  the  neighbors  to  enter. 

Lucita  left  his  side  to  repeat  the  invitation,  and 
though  one  or  two  crept  away  at  her  words  and 
returned  to  their  homes,  three  or  four  women  and 
one  or  two  men  silently  followed  her  when  she 
returned  to  the  bedside. 

Don  Luis  smiled  upon  them  all,  and  in  his  husky 
voice  told  them  that  they  need  not  be  sorry  for 
him,  as  he  was  ready  to  leave  the  world  and  go  to 
a  better. 

"  May  the  Holy  Virgin  see  you  safely  there  ! "  a 
woman  cried  fervently,  dropping  upon  her  knees. 

"  No,  the  Lord,  my  Master,  is  with  me  and  will 
give  me  a  welcome,"  Don  Luis  replied,  pronouncing 
his  words  with  short  pauses  for  breath  between  each 
one.  "I  hope  I  shall  see  Mary  too,"  he  continued; 
"  but  I  shall  find  her  like  myself,  only  a  redeemed 
sinner,  saved  by  the  blood  of  Jesus." 

The  women  shook  their  heads  in  pity  at  such 
blindness,  but  the  sick  man's  smile  was  so  peaceful 
and  his  manner  so  convinced  that  no  verbal  reply 
was  offered  to  his  words. 

After  sipping  with  great  difficulty  a  draught  of 
medicine  offered  him  by  Lucita,  he  spoke  again 
with  more  strength  in  his  voice. 

"  Do  not  think  that  I  am  dying  in  error,  amigos 
miosy"  he  said.  "If  you  will  listen  to  God  alone,  he 
will  tell  you  that  the  protestantes  came  here  to  teach 


226  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

us  the  truth.  God  is  a  kind  father  and  loves  us 
better  than  I  love  Teresa  or  Lucita  or  the  boy, 
and  he  wishes  us  to  take  our  prayers  and  our  con- 
fessions straight  to  him,  not  to  a  priest  or  the 
saints." 

One  of  the  women  had  stepped  to  the  foot  of 
the  bed  and,  extracting  a  colored  picture  of  a  saint 
from  the  bosom  of  her  sack,  proceeded  to  un- 
cover the  dying  man's  feet  and  to  slip  the  little 
battered  saint  beneath  them.  At  the  same  time 
another  woman  held  up  before  his  eyes  a  small 
wooden  crucifix  she  had  brought  with  her. 

Don  Luis  smiled  as  he  felt  the  movement  near 
his  feet.  "  What  you  are  putting  there,  Dona  Rosa, 
can  help  no  more  than  it  can  hurt  me.  Ah,  yes," 
he  continued,  turning  to  the  woman  with  the  cru- 
cifix, "the  cross  of  the  Saviour  !  But  it  was  a  larger, 
more  cruel  cross  than  that,  amiga  mia,  upon  which 
he  suffered.  I  wear  graven  on  my  heart  the  only 
image  of  that  cross  needed  to  direct  my  thoughts 
to  him.  You  need  not  trouble  to  hold  it,  Dona 
Antonia,  for  my  eyes  are  fast  losing  sight  of  things 
made  by  man's  hands." 

"A  priest !  Don  Luis,  let  us  send  for  a  priest. 
David,  my  husband,  will  go  for  Padre  Ocampo,  and 
be  back  before  you  can  groan  seven  times." 

"Papa,  I  will  send  them  away,"  Lucita  whispered  ; 
"why  do  you  let  them  distress  you  ?  We  want  to 
have  you  all  to  ourselves." 


HOMING    TREASURES  227 

"I  have  spoken  with  them  too  little  in  my  life," 
he  replied  solemnly.  "  In  the  hour  of  death  I  still 
have  a  duty  to  perform.  Give  me  another  sip  of 
the  medicine,  Lucita." 

Teresa  herself  offered  the  draught,  not  suffering 
Lucita  to  rise  from  her  seat  at  her  father's  side,  lest 
one  of  the  visitors  should  usurp  her  place. 

"  My  friends,"  Don  Luis  began,  and  his  voice  was 
perceptibly  weaker,  "  though  I  will  not  confess  my 
sins  to  a  priest  to-night,  I  have  a  confession  to 
make  to  you." 

He  paused  while  they  all  dropped  upon  their 
knees,  and  listened  with  bated  breath  for  what  was 
to  come. 

"  I  have  been  a  prote stance  for  six  years,"  he 
continued,  "  and  most  of  the  time  I  have  lived  in 
this  neighborhood.  Perhaps  if  I  had  been  brave 
and  clever,  each  one  of  you  who  kneels  here  now, 
and  many  more  besides,  might  have  been  like  us, 
believing  in  Jesus  Christ  as  our  Saviour  and  only 
mediator.  I  am  only  a  poor,  humble  man,  and  I 
have  not  always  spoken  for  the  gospel  when  I 
might  have  done  so.  Perhaps  I  have  been  even 
ashamed  of  my  religion  sometimes,  God  forgive 
me  !  I  do  not  expect  to  wear  a  golden  crown  in 
heaven,  for  I  deserve  no  reward,  no  reward  but 
just  getting  there,  and  that  will  be  for  Jesus'  sake, 
not  for  mine. 

"  Friends,  think  about  what  I  am  telling  you.      I 


228  THE   SENORA's    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

am  no  preacher  or  learned  man  to  say  beautiful 
words,  but  I  can  tell  you  that  Jesus  died  for  sin- 
ners and  that  the  angels  are  glad  when  poor  men 
and  women  find  their  way  straight  to  him,  without 
virgins  or  saints  or  priests  coming  in  between." 

Another  short  spasm  contracted  his  face  for  a 
few  seconds  and  then  he  spoke  once  more. 

"  Go  hear  the  evangelicals  preach  and  tell  about 
God's  love.  It  is  God's  love  that  helps  a  man  to 
die." 

The  men  in  the  little  group  about  the  bed  had 
listened  as  intently  as  had  the  women.  One  of 
them  spoke  in  a  deep,  hoarse  voice,  strongly  in 
contrast  to  the  feeble  tones  of  Don  Luis. 

"Are  you  then  not  afraid  to  die,  Don  Luis?"  he 
asked. 

But  the  sick  man  was  past  answering  in  words. 
He  smiled,  shook  his  head,  and  whispered  to  Luz 
to  sing. 

Lucita  nerved  herself  to  the  effort  and  after  the 
first  words  succeeded  in  steadying  her  voice  enough 
to  sing  the  whole  of  the  hymn  beginning, 

Cere  a  de  ti,  Senor,1 
Quiero  llegar. 

Don  Luis  nodded  his  head  slightly  irom  time  to 
time,  as  if  to  say:  " Amigo,  that  is  my  answer. 
What  more  would  you  ask  ?  " 

1  "Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee." 


HOMING    TREASURES  229 

There  was  quiet  again  after  Lucita's  voice  died 
away  with  the  last  words.  Some  of  the  women 
murmured  prayers  where  they  sat  crouched  on  the 
floor,  while  Don  Luis  appeared  to  sleep.  The 
cathedral  bells  struck  the  hour  of  midnight  before 
the  dying  man  again  opened  his  eyes. 

"  Lucita  !  "  he  called  loudly. 

"Yes,  papa,  here  I  am,  close  beside  you,"  was 
the  soft  reply 

"You  have  been  a  good  daughter  to  us.  Do 
not  forget  your — I  mean  my  wife  and  the  baby 
when  you  go  away  from  them.  You  have  promised 
me  to  do  what  is  right  and  to  go  to  your  grand- 
mother whenever  the  right  time  comes?  " 

"Yes,  papa;  but  only  because  you  have  said 
that  I  should.  I  do  not  wish  to  leave  mama  and 
my  hermanito" 

"I  know,"  he  replied;  "  but  Teresa  also  wishes 
to  do  the  right  thing,  when  she  knows  what  it  is. 
God  will  take  care  of  Teresa  and  the  little  one. 
Now  go  to  sleep,  my  child,  for  you  look  very 
tired.     The  Lord  watches  with  me  ! " 

Don  Luis  never  spoke  again,  and  when,  half  an 
hour  later,  the  witnesses  of  the  death  scene  stole 
quietly  away,  leaving  one  kind  neighbor  to  assist 
Teresa  in  her  last  duties  to  the  dead,  more  than 
one  thought  to  himself : 

"It  is  a  beautiful  way  to  die." 

Don  David  muttered  to  himself  as  he  stumbled 


23O      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

in  the  dark  toward  his  own  door,  "  It  seemed  as  if 
he  were  starting  on  a  fine  journey  to  the  United 
States  of  the  North,  and  as  if  he  were  expecting 
great  happiness  ahead.  It  must  be  a  good  thing 
not  to  fear  death." 

A  week  later  found  Lucita  again  at  school. 
She  quietly  settled  back  into  the  old  routine  of 
study,  and  by  degrees  her  face  lost  the  anxious  ex- 
pression it  had  worn  for  many  days. 


IV 

OCTOBER  was  drawing  to  an  end  before  the 
long-expected  letter  arrived  from  the  Sefiora 
Barreda.  The  Senorita  Julia  read  it  over  carefully 
to  herself,  and  more  than  once,  before  communi- 
cating its  contents  to  Luz. 

From  the  letter  she  learned  that  the  sefiora  had 
been  away  from  home  when  the  senorita's  "most 
esteemed  favor"  had  reached  Guadalajara,  and 
that  it  had  not  followed  her,  as  she  had  been  off 
the  regular  path  of  the  mails.  Ninfa's  letters  to 
her  had  already  kindled  in  her  mind  a  strange 
interest  in  the  child's  schoolmate,  Luz  Rubio,  and 
her  granddaughter's  playful  manner  of  alluding  to 
this  girl  as  "my  sister  Luz"  had  deepened  this 
interest.  The  girl's  age,  her  countenance  and  dis- 
position, as  described  by  Ninfa,  and  the  fact  that 
Ninfa  had  recently  written  of  her  new  friend's 
southern  birth,  had  aroused  torturing  suggestions 
in  the  sefiora's  mind.  Before  leaving  the  city, 
therefore,  she  had  dispatched  a  devoted  friend  to 
Saltillo  to  make  suitable  inquiries  in  her  own  name 
concerning  the  birthplace  and  parentage  of  this 
Luz  Rubio.  Yet  so  slight  had  been  her  hope  of 
discovering  any  traces  of  her  son's  lost  child,  that 

231 


232      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

she  had  strongly  insisted  upon  a  judicious  reticence 
on  the  part  of  her  messenger  concerning  the  mis- 
sion in  any  interview  he  might  have  with  Ninfa  or 
the  Americans.  It  would  have  been  cruel  to  put 
false  hopes  into  the  poor  child's  mind. 

Wearying  at  last  of  the  messenger's  utter  silence, 
having  heard  not  a  word  since  his  departure  in 
September,  the  sefiora  had  set  out  on  a  visit  to  her 
hacienda,  and  thence  had  continued  her  journey  to 
Las  Rosas  itself,  whence  her  son's  child  had  been 
removed  by  the  peasant  folks.  There  she  had 
learned  that  the  woman,  Teresa  Flores,  was  indeed 
the  wife  of  one  Luis  Rubio,  her  maiden  name  hav- 
ing clung  to  her  even  after  her  marriage.  Don 
Luis  had  been  a  stranger  in  the  village  until  a  short 
while  before  his  marriage  with  Teresa,  and  even 
now  there  were  no  others  dwelling  there  by  the 
name  of  Rubio.  Teresa's  relatives  were  many, 
however,  though  none  had  had  tidings  of  her 
since  her  flight  from  the  city.  The  old  priest  was 
dead,  but  there  was  more  than  one  Flores  left  who 
remembered  that  Teresa  had  carried  away  Man- 
uela's  dying  infant  rolled  in  an  end  of  her  rebozo. 

The  sefiora  had  retraced  the  weary  miles  over 
mountain  and  plain  and  canon  with  a  consuming 
desire  to  enter  the  first  train  for  the  north  and 
hasten  to  embrace  both  her  children.  All  lingering 
doubt  as  to  the  identity  of  Ninfa's  schoolmate, 
Luz,  with   her   own    grandchild  was   dissipated    by 


HOMING    TREASURES  233 

the  reading  of  the  senorita's  letter,  found  on  her 
return  home,  and  containing  Teresa's  confession 
that  Luz  Rubio  was  in  truth  a  Barreda,  daughter 
of  Vicente  and  Manuela. 

The  children  must  be  told  of  their  relationship, 
by  all  means,  and  she  herself  would  have  great 
difficulty  in  resisting  her  impulse  to  fly  at  once  to 
them.  She  was  getting  older  now,  however,  as  the 
effects  of  these  long  journeyings  were  proving  to 
herself,  and  she  must  wait  until  the  "day  of  pre- 
miums,"1 before  giving  herself  this  great  happiness. 
The  letter  closed  with  profuse  thanks  to  the 
americana  who  had  so  kindly  written,  and  who 
had  been  so  good  a  friend  to  her  "little  ones," 
and  with  a  devout  recommendation  of  them  all  to 
the  kind  mercies  of  God  and  "  the  most  Holy  Vir- 
gin." 

A  postscript  explained  that  other  letters  had 
been  found  awaiting  the  sefiora,  which  told  of  her 
messenger's  extreme  illness  in  Saltillo.  This  illness 
accounted  for  the  silence  and  apparent  unconcern 
of  the  friend  to  whom  she  had  entrusted  her  inter- 
ests. Ninfa  would  be  sorry  to  learn  that  her  old 
playmate,  Justo  Prieto,  was  probably  at  death's 
door  at  that  moment,  at  his  lodging  in  Saltillo. 

Luz  was  sitting  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  pillars 
outside  of  her  dormitory,  at  work  with  slate  and 
pencil,  when  she  heard  her  name  called  by  the 
1  Closing  exercises  of  the  school. 


234  THE    SENORA S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

Sefiorita  Julia  on  the  day  of  the  letter's  arrival. 
The  young  lady  stood  at  the  outer  door,  holding  an 
open  letter  in  her  hand.  Luz  laid  her  hand  upon 
her  heart  as  if  to  steady  its  sudden  startling  throbs, 
and  then  hurriedly  responded  to  her  teacher's 
beckoning  finger* 

"You  may  bring  Ninfa,  if  you  like,"  the  sefiorita 
said,  smiling.  "  I  think  she  will  be  interested  in  this 
letter  as  well  as  yourself." 

"Is  it  from  Guadalajara?"  Luz  asked,  trembling. 
"Then  may  I  tell  Ninfa  everything?  I  should 
like  to  tell  her  first." 

Receiving  permission  to  do  so,  Luz  skimmed 
away  like  a  swallow.  Down  the  corridor  she  flew, 
past  groups  of  girls  playing  at  "checks"  on  the 
pavement,  with  not  a  word  for  anybody  on  the 
way. 

She  stopped  in  the  doorway  of  the  small  music- 
room,  where  Ninfa  was  practising,  and  stood  there 
for  a  few  seconds  behind  the  pretty  figure  on  the 
piano  stool.  Ninfa  went  steadily  on  with  her  work, 
unconscious  of  her  auditor,  until  Luz  began  to  hum 
an  alto  accompaniment  to  the  simple  theme  the 
former  was  studying. 

The  brown  hands  fell  with  a  crash  upon  the 
piano  keys,  and  Ninfa  wheeled  around  upon  the 
stool  with  quick  words  of  rebuke  upon  her  lips. 
Luz  went  toward  her  with  flushed  cheeks  and 
shining  eyes. 


HOMING    TREASURES  235 

"What  is  it,  Luz?"  Ninfa  asked,  surprised  at 
this  interruption  from  Lucita,  of  all  others.  "  You 
startled  me  with  your  deep  voice  behind  me  and  I 
do  not  like  to  be  startled.  My  heart  beats  as  if  it 
would  burst  through  my  ribs." 

"So  does  mine,"  Luz  replied,  standing  by  in 
some  embarrassment  now,  and  fingering  the  music 
on  the  rack. 

"Let  me  hear  it,"  Ninfa  exclaimed  laughingly, 
laying  her  head  on  Lucita' s  breast  and  throwing 
her  arms  around  her  waist.  "Yes,  it  really  does 
thump,"  she  said,  lifting  her  face  to  Luz.  "What 
is  the  matter,  and  why  have  you  come  to  steal 
away  my  practice  hour  ?  The  senorita  will  give  us 
ten  demerits  apiece,  and  besides,  I  do  not  half  know 
my  piece.  Go  away  now,  Luz,  and  let  me  study. 
I  have  been  thinking  of  my  grandmother  all  this 
time,  and  of  how  proud  she  will  be  to  hear  me 
play." 

"  Ninfa,"  Luz  faltered,  "  I  too  have  been  think- 
ing about  your  grandmother.  Suppose  she  were 
my  grandmother  too  ;  do  you  think  she  would  like 
me?" 

"She  would  like  all  but  your  being  a  Protestant," 
was  the  frank  reply. 

"  Do  you  think  that  would  keep  her  from  loving 
me,  Ninfa,  if  I  were  her  real  granddaughter?" 

Ninfa-s  face  grew  wistful.  "  I  have  wondered 
about  that  very  thing  sometimes,   Luz,"  she  said. 


2$6  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"  Not  about  you,  but  about  myself.  Would  mama 
love  me  just  as  well  if  I  were  a  Protestant,  or  would 
she  be  proud  and  cold  and  not  call  me  her  little 
Ninfa  any  more  ?  But  what  makes  you  speak  so, 
Luz  ?  I  do  not  wish  to  be  sad  now  and  thinking 
of  such  things  makes  me  sad." 

"Listen  to  me,  Ninfa,"  the  other  said  solemnly. 
"  We  have  to  think  of  such  things,  because — oh  ! 
how  can  I  tell  you?  Chulita,1  you  are  my  own  little 
sister,  and  your  grandmother  is  really  mine.  Our 
father  was  Vicente  Barreda,  Ninfa,  and  mama — 
Dona  Teresa — took  me  from  our  dead  mother's 
arms  and  brought  me  away  to  Saltillo." 

Ninfa' s  eyes  grew  wild  and  frightened,  and  she 
clung  to  Luz  without  a  word. 

"Are  you  sorry  to  be  my  sister?"  Luz  asked, 
with  trouble  in  her  eyes. 

But  Ninfa  burst  into  a  fit  of  weeping  so  sudden 
and  so  violent  that  Luz  could  do  nothing  with  her, 
and  finally  had  to  lead  her,  sobbing,  to  the  Senorita 
Julia's  room. 

The  girls  stared  in  amazement  at  the  sight  of  the 
merry  Ninfa  in  such  distress,  and  many  hurried 
forward  to  offer  consolation  and  assistance. 

"What  is  it?"  they  asked.  "Is  it  a  dolor f2 
The  sefioritas  will  give  her  medicine  if  you  take 
her  to  them,  Luz.  Pobrecita,  how  she  cries  !  Is 
any  one  dead,  perhaps?" 

1  Darling.  2  Pain. 


HOMING    TREASURES  237 

For  once  Luz  grew  impatient  with  her  school- 
mates, and  brushing  past  the  condoling  crowd 
continued  her  way  in  silence  toward  the  senorita's 
door. 

Her  heart  was  as  heavy  as  lead,  and  all  the  ex- 
hilaration of  the  past  moments  had  vanished.  If 
Ninfa  was  going  to  receive  the  news  like  this,  it 
would  have  been  better  to  keep  it  a  secret  forever 
in  her  own  beating  heart. 

The  teacher  was  ready  for  them,  and  quickly 
closed  the  door  upon  any  intruding  gaze  from  the 
outside.  Once  inside,  Ninfa  threw  back  her  rebozo, 
with  which  she  had  shrouded  her  head  on  passing 
through  the  corridor,  and  again  threw  her  arms 
around  Luz,  mingling  hysterical  laughter  now  with 
her  sobs. 

"There,  there,  Ninfa,  be  quiet,"  the  teacher  said, 
with  a  sympathetic  break  in  her  own  voice.  "  If 
you  cry  and  laugh  at  the  same  time,  I  am  sure  Luz 
and  I  will  not  know  whether  you  are  most  sorry  or 
glad  to  hear  our  news.  Sit  down,  both  of  you,  and 
let  me  read  aloud  your  grandmother's  letter." 

Without  a  word  the  girls  listened  to  the  letter 
from  beginning  to  end.  When  the  signature, 
"Alejandra  de  la  Palma  de  Barreda,"  was  reached, 
Ninfa  sighed  deeply. 

"Senorita,  I  cannot  understand  it,  at  all,"  she 
said  in  distress.  "  You  teach  that  the  Virgin  Mary 
has  no  power  to  make  us  either  happy  or  unhappy, 


238      THE  SENORA'S  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

yet  it  was  she  who  sent  me  here  to  find  my  sister. 
Mama  asked  her  to  decide  whether  I  should  come 
to  this  school  or  go  to  that  of  the  monjas  across 
the  street  A  priest  held  the  cards  for  her,  and  the 
ace  of  spades,  for  this  school,  turned  up  in  his  right 
hand,  while  the  ace  of  diamonds  would  have  meant 
the  other  school.  It  seems  as  though  the  Virgin 
would  have  wished  me  to  go  to  the  Catholic  school ; 
yet  here,  you  see,  I  have  found  our  Luz.  Do  you 
suppose  she  had  nothing  to  do  with  it,  senorita?" 

"What  do  you  think  about  it,  Luz?"  the  teacher 
asked,  wishing  to  know  the  thought  shining  in  the 
girl's  gray  eyes,  as  Ninfa  spoke. 

"  I  do  not  think  that  Mary  had  anything  to  do 
with  it,  senorita,"  Luz  answered.  "And  I  am  sure 
that  if  she  is  what  the  Roman  Catholics  think,  she 
would  never  have  let  Ninfa  come  here,  even  to 
find  a  sister." 

"But  the  ace  of  spades  turned  up,  Luz,  and 
mama  had  asked  her  to  decide,"  Ninfa  objected. 

"Who  held  the  cards,  Ninfa?"  the  senorita 
asked. 

"  Don  Justo  Prieto,  a  priest.  He  is  mama  s  friend 
too,  and  a  very  learned  young  man,  just  from  col- 
lege. I  cannot  believe  that  he  is  dying,  and  in 
Saltillo  too,"  Ninfa  added  softly. 

The  senorita  was  silent  for  a  moment. 

"  I  like  to  think  that  God's  hand  is  in  every- 
thing," she  said  presently.      "Of  course  no  discus- 


HOMING    TREASURES  239 

sion  of  ours  is  needed  to  prove  whether  or  not 
Mary  had  a  part  in  the  decision,  for  the  truth  is 
beyond  any  mere  discussion,  my  dear  child.  You 
must  remember  your  verse,  Ninfa,  learned  long 
ago.  There  is  truly  but  'one  God,'  you  know, 
and  it  is  he  who  rules  the  world.  It  was  not  by 
chance  that  the  ace  of  spades  turned  up  in  the 
priest's  hands.  Whatever  human  hands  had  to  do 
with  the  decision,  God's  was  the  guiding  hand  after 
all.  There  is  but  'one  mediator,'  also,  as  your 
verse  teaches  us,  and  that  one  is  not  Mary,  you 
know." 

"Then  does  God  hear  the  prayers  people  pray 
to  Mary  and  the  saints,  senorita,  and  does  he  really 
answer  them?  "  Luz  asked  quickly. 

"  Certainly  he  hears  them.  We  are  told  that 
'  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  in  every  place  beholding 
the  evil  and  the  good '  ;  do  you  suppose  that  his 
ears  are  deafened  to  any  cry  that  his  creatures 
make  ?  But  he  is  not  pleased  when  any  other  is 
put  into  his  place  as  God  and  Father,  and  if  prayer 
to  any  saint  seems  to  be  answered  by  God,  it  is  be- 
cause this  answer  is  to  fall  in  with  his  own  plans. 
He  uses  strange  instruments  for  working  out  his 
plans  for  his  people. 

"  Is  all  this  beyond  your  comprehension,  Ninfa  ?  " 
she  added,  smiling  at  the  girl,  who  had  apparently 
ceased  to  listen  and  sat  gazing  in  a  kind  of  rapture 
into  her  sister's  interested  face.      "  All   I   mean  to 


24O  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

say  is,  that  I  think  the  Lord,  not  Mary,  sent  you 
here  to  find  your  sister.  Are  you  very  glad,  and 
do  you  not  feel  like  thanking  him  in  your  heart?  " 

"  Oh,  Luz,  how  happy  we  shall  be !"  Ninfa  cried 
ecstatically.  "  I  am  thanking  God  in  my  heart, 
right  now,  sefiorita,  and  it  means  more  than  just 
gracias  a  Dios}  Everybody  says  that  a  dozen 
times  a  day,  but  I  feel  it  inside  too." 

"Sefiorita,  it  takes  God  a  long  time  to  answer 
prayers,  sometimes,"  Luz  said  timidly,  with  her 
hand  clasping  Ninfa' s.  "We  might  have  found 
each  other  as  soon  as  Ninfa  came,  instead  of  wait- 
ing all  this  time." 

"  And  why  did  he  ever  separate  us  ?  "  Ninfa 
asked.  "We  might  have  grown  up  together,  in- 
stead, and  not  have  wasted  all  these  years." 

"  Do  you  think  the  years  have  been  wasted, 
Luz?  "   the  sefiorita  asked  gravely. 

"  Ninfa  !  I  would  have  been  a  Roman  Catholic 
like  you,"  Luz  cried,  startled  at  the  thought. 

"Then  why  was  it  not  I,  instead  of  Luz,  who  was 
stolen  from  Las  Rosas,  if  it  is  such  a  grand  thing 
to  be  a  Protestant?  "  Ninfa  asked,  pouting. 
"Mama  will  think  that  it  is  Luz,  not  I,  who  has 
been  unfortunate." 

"Our  Father  is  still  leading  us,  Ninfa,"  the 
sefiorita  said  quietly.  "We  cannot  know  why  he 
chooses  certain  paths  for  us,  but  we   know  that  he 

1  Thank  God. 


HOMING    TREASURES  24 1 

never  makes  mistakes.  Sometimes  we  ourselves 
seem  to  interfere  with  his  plans  and  hinder  him. 
Perhaps  some  day  you  will  all  thank  him  for  the 
years  that  have  separated  you  and  Luz.  They 
have  taught  both  of  you  many  things  that  might 
never  have  been  learned  if  you  had  lived  together." 

"  At  any  rate,  we  are  together  now,"  Luz  said 
contentedly;  "only  I  never  shall  be  able  to  think 
of  Ninfa  as  my  twin  sister.  She  seems  only  a  little 
girl,  while  I  am  like " 

"A  great-grandmother,"  Ninfa  added  merrily. 
"  Never  mind  ;  perhaps  I  shall  catch  up  with  you, 
or  you  will  grow  silly  and  young  with  me.  Senorita, 
you  do  not  know  how  delightful  it  will  be  not  to 
have  to  play  at  being  sisters  any  more. 

"You  know  how  to  pray  better  than  I  do,"  she 
said  shyly  to  her  sister  as  they  left  the  room  to- 
gether a  little  later ;  "  will  you  not  help  me  to 
thank  the  Lord  ? 

"Poor  Justo,"  Ninfa  whispered  as  they  came 
out  into  the  corridor  again  ;  "  he  would  like  you, 
Luz,  better  than  he  does  me,  because  you  are 
clever.  He  is  very  clever,  indeed,  and  he  thinks  I 
am  as  stupid  as  an  old  sheep."  Then  she  stopped 
suddenly,  catching  her  breath  at  a  thought  that 
struck  her  for  the  first  time.  Luz  looked  on  in 
wondering  surprise.  Was  she  ever  to  become 
accustomed  to  this  sister  of  the  quicksilver-like 
moods  ? 

Q 


242  THE    SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"  Perhaps  it  was  Justo  who  wrote  the  notes," 
Ninfa  continued  eagerly.  "He  was  always  like 
that.  Instead  of  coming  to  see  me  he  would  have 
had  me  write  secretly.  Oh,  Luz,  think  of  it !  He 
came  here  to  find  you,  mama  says,  and  now  he  is 
ill  and  perhaps  dead  !" 

Thereupon  Ninfa  had  many  things  to  explain  to 
her  bewildered  sister.  Luz  had  often  heard  of  Justo 
Prieto,  the  playmate  and  priest,  but  this  was  the 
first  of  her  knowledge  of  Ninfa's  mysterious  corres- 
pondent. Now,  after  reading  the  first  note,  which 
Ninfa  had  never  destroyed,  and  then  hearing  the 
contents  of  the  second,  Luz  could  not  help  agree- 
ing with  Ninfa  that  no  other  person  than  the  priest 
could  have  sent  them.  Luz  was  sure  that  the 
Sefiorita  Julia  would  commend  Ninfa's  discretion 
and  womanliness  in  the  matter,  as  she  herself  did, 
but  she  could  not  help  reproaching  Ninfa  for  keep- 
ing the  secret  of  the   notes  to  herself. 

"You  did  not  know  you  had  a  real  sister,  did 
you,  dear?"  she  said;  "yet  I  think  you  might 
have  told  me." 

They  were  inside  of  the  dormitory  by  this  time, 
and  sitting  together  on  the  edge  of  Ninfa's  bed. 
Ninfa  laid  her  cheek  against  her  sister's  shoulder 
and  laughed  softly. 

"You  see,  Luz  Barreda,  you  had  scolded  me 
dreadfully  when  I  told  you  about  one  little  note  re- 
ceived long  ago,  so  I  did  not  dare  whisper  even  a 


HOMING    TREASURES  243 

word  of  these  others.  It  is  true  that  I  knew  no 
one  in  Saltillo  who  could  have  written  me  love- 
letters,"  she  added  artlessly;  "but  I  was  afraid  to 
tell  you,  all  the  same,  for  you  might  have  thought 
that  they  were  love-letters,  you  know,  never  having 
received  one  yourself." 

At  this  Luz  sniffed  audibly  with  her  pretty  little 
nose,  but  Ninfa  would  not  let  her  draw  herself 
away,  holding  her  tightly  with  both  arms. 

"Never  mind,"  she  whispered  shyly  now;  "you 
shall  see  'A.  C  for  yourself  some  day.  Is  it  not 
almost  too  good  to  be  true  ?  And  Luz,  I  know  his 
name  now,  for  mama  has  written  it  to  me.  He  is 
Anselmo  Cardenas.  Do  you  not  think  Anselmo  a 
beautiful  name?  " 

The  news  of  Ninfa' s  finding  a  genuine  twin  in 
her  "make-believe  sister  Luz"  was  hailed  by  their 
schoolmates  as  a  charming  bit  of  romance  come 
true  in  every-day  life. 

"  Luz  Rubio  will  hold  her  head  higher  than  ever 
now,"  was  Carmen's  ill-natured  remark  on  hearing 
the  news,  but  she  was  quickly  quenched  by  little 
Luz  Coiro,  who  was  always  ready  of  speech. 

"There  isn't  any  Luz  Rubio,  now,"  she  retorted, 
unless  you  mean  Dona  Teresa's  little  baby  that 
died  all  those  years  ago.  And  you  may  be  thank- 
ful if  Luz  Barreda  ever  speaks  to  you,  Carmen 
Diaz,  after  your  treatment  of  her  sometimes." 


244  THE   SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"  Besides,  Luz  has  known  about  it  for  a  long 
time  already,"  quiet  Raquel  Uribe  added  ;  "and  I 
am  sure  no  one  has  seen  any  difference  in  her." 

"  I  wonder  if  she  will  be  ashamed  of  being  a 
Protestant  when  she  goes  to  live  with  the  rich  old 
lady  and  Ninfa,"  Angela  Vera  mused,  looking 
across  the  supper  table  that  night  at  the  happy 
faces  of  the  twins. 


V 


IN  a  large  room  on  the  ground  floor  of  a  certain 
house  in  Saltillo  a  priest  lay  dying.  The  front 
of  the  house  opened  upon  the  Calle  Real,  as  the 
street  leading  past  the  cathedral  was  called,  but 
the  sick-room  was  in  the  rear,  and  its  wide-open 
door  and  windows  received  the  light  and  fresh  air 
from  the  inner  court  of  the  house.  The  clatter  of 
hoofs  and  wheels  on  the  cobblestones  of  the  street, 
and  the  noisy  droning  of  the  public-school  boys 
studying  their  lessons  aloud  in  a  house  near  by, 
were  hushed  to  the  sick  man's  deafened  ears. 

The  Senora  Barreda  herself  would  scarcely  have 
recognized  Justo  Prieto  in  the  lank  figure  stretched 
upon  the  narrow  iron  bedstead.  The  hollow 
cheeks,  the  lips,  and  nostrils  drawn  by  pain,  the 
full  brow  bulging  abnormally  above  the  deeply 
sunken  eyes,  seemed  but  a  painful  caricature  of 
the  strong  and  intelligent  features  of  the  young 
priest  in  health. 

The  fever  of  weeks  had  at  last  burned  itself  out, 
and  for  twenty-four  hours  Justo  had  been  kept 
alive  only  by  the  use  of  stimulants.  The  hot  blood 
no  longer  throbbed  at  his  heart  and  surged  tumul- 
tously through  his  veins.      The  heat  in  his  brain 

245 


246  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

was  gone,  and  a  sickly  pallor  had  taken  the  place 
of  the  crimson  flush  overspreading  his  face  and 
neck.  Since  midnight  he  had  been  in  a  state  of 
collapse,  and  now  at  noon  of  this  first  day  of  No- 
vember, the  sun's  breath  upon  the  cool  air  of  the 
bedchamber  had  no  power  to  remove  the  chill 
from  his  brow  and  limbs. 

Justo  was  no  longer  delirious,  although  the  mists 
of  approaching  death  befogged  his  brain  and  pre- 
vented him  from  dwelling  acutely  upon  the  serious- 
ness of  his  situation.  He  felt  himself  very  weak, 
and  he  knew  that  this  weakness  was  caused  by 
extreme  illness.  He  had  had  a  long,  bad  dream, 
as  it  seemed  to  him,  lasting  through  many  hours 
of  torture.  He  remembered  vaguely  having  given 
a  note  to  a  seller  of  chocolate,  who  had  promised 
to  bring  him  an  answer.  He  had  gone  to  bed  with 
a  terrific  pain  in  his  head  and  must  have  fallen  into 
a  deep  sleep,  for  no  chocolate  woman  had  ever 
returned  to  him  with  the  coveted  answer  j  only 
frightful  dreams  had  haunted  him,  and  visions  of 
changing  faces  had  hovered  about  his  bed. 

Once  the  idea  had  possessed  him  that  rogues 
were  tampering  with  a  certain  packet  of  letters, 
valuable  to  him  for  some  mysterious  reason,  which 
in  his  dream  he  could  not  comprehend.  He  had 
fought  hard  for  these  letters,  he  remembered,  and 
now  they  were  safe,  resting  heavily  upon  his  breast. 
At  another  time  he  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  lovely 


HOMING    TREASURES  2^J 

angel,  who  had  looked  as  the  "blessed  mother  of 
God"  might  look,  though  her  features  reminded 
him  of  some  one — who  could  it  be? — of  some  one 
who  had  smiled  upon  him  divinely  in  the  golden 
light  of  an  orange  grove  in  Spain.  But  this  fair 
angel  had  not  tarried  beside  his  bed.  In  her  hands 
she  had  carried  an  open  book,  and  on  one  page  of 
the  book  there  were  pictures  of  playing  cards,  with 
their  dazzling  spots  of  black  and  red.  The  angel 
had  vanished  in  a  rosy  cloud,  after  hovering  for  a 
brief  moment  in  his  sight,  but  the  book  had  re- 
mained, as  if  suspended  in  the  air,  until  a  tall  man, 
wearing  the  beard  of  an  americano,  had  grasped  it 
in  his  hands,  and  with  a  mighty  effort  had  hurled 
the  heavy  volume  upon  the  bed,  with  the  words, 
"Take  it,  it  is  thy  life!"  Now  as  Justo  lay  with 
his  brain  cleared  of  visions,  he  believed  that  he  had 
just  awakened  from  a  night  of  feverish  dreams,  and 
noticing  a  Mexican  woman  squatting  in  the  door- 
way, he  made  a  feeble  noise  in  his  throat  to  attract 
her  attention. 

She  rose  hastily  and  went  to  the  bedside,  offering 
Justo  a  drink  of  a  mixture  already  prepared  in  a 
tumbler  upon  the  table.  Too  weak  to  resist,  the 
sick  man  gulped  down  a  swallow  of  the  draught, 
and  then,  in  a  thread  of  a  whisper,  asked  the  hour. 

"Just  past  midday,"  the  old  woman  answered. 
"And  how  do  you  feel,  sir?" 

"I  feel  I  am  going  to  be  ill,"  Justo  answered,  as 


248  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

before,  "and  I  have  no  time  for  illness.  There  are 
many  things  to  think  about  and  I  cannot  remember 
them.     Why  have  they  let  me  sleep  so  long?" 

" Pst  I  Pst !  You  must  sleep,"  the  woman  an- 
swered, hushing  him,  though  not  unkindly.  "You 
will  be  better  soon." 

Justo  closed  his  eyes  obediently  and  waited  to 
feel  better.  When  next  he  opened  his  eyes,  the 
sunlight  had  faded  from  the  room  ;  lighted  candles 
gleamed  like  magnified  sparks  through  the  blue 
mists  of  incense  smoke.  The  air  of  the  room  was 
so  heavy  with  the  fumes  and  odor  of  burning  in- 
cense that  Justo  gasped,  then  half  rose  in  bed  in  a 
violent  struggle  for  breath.  Strong  hands  received 
him  as  he  fell  over  fainting  from  the  effort  and  laid 
him  back  upon  the  pillow.  A  spoonful  of  some 
burning  mixture  was  forced  down  his  throat,  and 
his  heart  began  to  beat  with  a  sudden  flare  of 
energy.  He  opened  his  eyes  to  find  a  smoothly 
shaven  face  bent  close  to  his,  and  to  hear  a  per- 
suasive voice  in  his  ear,  saying : 

"In  thy  extremity,  my  son,  art  thou  ready  to 
cast  thyself  upon  the  all-sufficient  mercy  of  God,  in 
confession  of  thy  sins,  and  to  receive  final  absolu- 
tion at  my  hands?" 

"What,  am  I  dying?"  the  younger  priest  de- 
manded hoarsely. 

"Even  so?  hijo  mio.  There  is  no  time  to  be 
lost" 


HOMING    TREASURES  249 

A  look  of  horror  convulsed  Justo's  features  for#a 
second.  Then  it  passed  and  he  announced  quietly 
that  he  was  ready. 

The  little  boy  bearing  the  censer  and  several 
other  attendants  were  bidden  to  leave  the  room  at 
this  moment,  and  the  elder  priest  addressed  himself 
to  receiving  the  last  confession  of  Justo  Prieto. 
This  priest's  head  was  covered  with  a  square  black 
cap,  a  fringe  of  white  hair  showing  below  its  edge. 
He  hid  his  face  in  his  hands  and,  kneeling,  leaned 
his  ear  toward  Justo's  moving  lips. 

The  confession  was  short  and  business-like.  At 
one  moment  Justo  made  a  slight  movement  of  his 
hand  toward  the  packet  of  letters  upon  his  breast, 
but  the  confession  was  uninterrupted. 

When  the  last  words  had  died  away  upon  the 
dying  man's  lips,  the  confessor  uncovered  his  head 
in  order  to  absolve  the  penitent.  Recommending 
him  to  divine  mercy,  the  padre  stretched  out  his 
right  hand  over  Justo  and  prayed  God  to  remit  his 
sins.  Replacing  his  square  cap,  he  then  gave  him 
absolution  in  the  name  of  Christ  Jesus,  and  still 
holding  his  right  hand  uplifted  above  the  patient, 
he  added  that  he  absolved  him  by  Christ's  au- 
thority, in  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Then,  uncovering  his  head  the 
second  time,  he  knelt  and  prayed  that  our  Saviour's 
passion,  the  merits  of  the  holy  Virgin  and  of  all  the 
saints,  might  conspire  to  remit  the  penitent's  sins. 


25O  THE    SENORA S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

Justo  lay  more  dead  than  alive  as  the  priest 
arrived  at  this  stage  of  the  preparation  for  his 
fellow-priest's  entrance  into  another  world,  and  it 
became  necessary  to  hasten  with  the  administration 
of  the  sacrament  and  extreme  unction.  The 
room  again  filled  with  those  who  had  remained  in 
the  court  outside  during  the  moments  of  confes- 
sion, and  all  fell  upon  their  knees  as  the  priest  ap- 
proached a  table  containing  a  basin  of  water  and 
towels. 

The  attendants,  meanwhile,  roused  the  fainting 
sick  man  to  slip  a  surplice  over  his  shoulders,  and 
over  that  a  white  stole,  arranged  crosswise  over  his 
breast  His  anxious  eyes  pleaded  for  rest,  and  the 
little  remaining  breath  came  in  feeble  gasps  at  long 
intervals.  It  seemed  indeed  a  cruel  thing  to  rout 
the  dying  head  from  the  pillow,  and  to  turn  and 
twist  the  exhausted  frame  into  a  fit  attitude  for  the 
reception  of  the  viaticum}  But  the  last  and  most 
mysterious  journey  of  Justo  Prieto's  life  was  about 
to  begin,  and  no  precautions  must  be  omitted  to 
insure  him  a  safe  entrance  into  the  new  life  await- 
ing him  at  its  end. 

A  few  seconds  of  rest  were  allowed  him  while 
the  priest  carefully  washed  his  hands,  and  then, 
fully  attired  in  surplice,  stole,  and  chasuble,  ap- 
proached the  temporary  altar  at  one  side  of  the 
room.     This  altar  was  a  table  covered  with  a  clean, 

1  The  wafer  administered  at  death. 


HOMING    TREASURES  25  I 

white  cloth,  and  bore  two  lighted  tapers,  besides 
the  box  containing  the  consecrated  wafer,  which 
was  covered  by  a  veil.  Then  all  in  the  room  knelt 
and  worshiped  the  "host,"  joining  the  priest  in  a 
chanted  Latin  prayer.  During  the  prayer  the 
priest  sprinkled  the  sick  man  and  the  rest  with 
holy  water.  Lastly,  he  carefully  took  the  conse- 
crated wafer  from  the  pyx,  and  holding  it  reverently 
between  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of  his  right  hand, 
with  the  little  box  held  just  beneath  so  that  not  a 
crumb  should  fall  to  the  floor,  he  returned  to  the 
bedside. 

Justo  was  barely  able  to  open  his  mouth  in  obe- 
dience to  his  command,  and  even  then  he  allowed 
the  wafer  to  remain  upon  his  trembling  tongue, 
with  no  attempt  at  swallowing  it. 

The  spectators  held  their  breath  in  horror. 

"  Quick  !  a  glass  of  water  !  "  the  priest  exclaimed 
in  terrified  tones.  "  The  body  of  our  Lord  will  be 
desecrated  !     He  must  be  forced  to  swallow  it." 

The  dying  priest  still  retained  enough  conscious- 
ness to  swallow  the  spoonful  of  water  poured  into 
his  mouth,  and  the  persons  around  the  bed  gave 
a  simultaneous  sigh  of  relief  as  the  short  spasm  in 
the  laboring  throat  testified  to  the  safety  of  the 
wafer. 

The  act  of  communion  being  at  an  end,  the 
priest,  with  many  genuflexions,  returned  the  pyx 
to  the  table,  brushing  his  finger  and  thumb  against 


252       THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

its  inside  edge  so  that  any  crumb  of  wafer  left 
sticking  to  them  might  fall  into  the  box.  Then 
closing  the  box,  he  replaced  the  veil,  and  leaving 
it  upon  the  table,  washed  his  ringer  and  thumb  in 
a  tumbler  of  wine  and  water  offered  him  by  one  of 
the  attendants.  More  Latin  prayers  and  anthems 
followed,  making  a  harsh  and  mournful  accompani- 
ment to  the  dying  gasps  of  the  young  priest. 

The  physician's  entrance  at  the  end  of  the  serv- 
ice again  emptied  the  room  of  all  save  the  nurse 
and  the  officiating  priest. 

"  How  much  longer  will  he  last?  "  was  the  lat- 
ter's  question,  as  the  doctor  lifted  his  head  from 
the  patient's  breast. 

"  Perhaps  ten  minutes,  perhaps  an  hour,  senor 
padre"  was  the  brief  reply.  "  If  there  is  anything 
else  to  be  done  while  life  remains  it  should  be  done 
now.  What  are  you  up  to,  woman?  Leave  the 
man's  feet  alone  !" 

The  physician  strode  to  the  foot  of  the  bed  and 
flung  up  the  nurse's  arm  as  she  was  in  the  act  of 
replacing  the  bedclothes.  Giving  a  glance  of  dis- 
gust at  the  varied  contents  of  the  foot  of  the  bed, 
the  physician  turned  on  his  heel  and  abruptly 
left  the  room.  He  was  a  Mexican  and  his  family 
was  Roman  Catholic,  but  he  had  seen  too  much  of 
life  and  of  death  to  enjoy  the  scenes  now  and  then 
witnessed  by  him  at  the  end  of  some  patient's  life. 

"  Let  a  man  die  in   peace,    I   say,  with   none  of 


HOMING    TREASURES  253 

this  mummery  and  play-acting,"  he  muttered 
angrily  to  himself  now,  as  he  left  the  room  and 
house.  "They  have  no  pity  upon  a  poor  soul  in 
the  last  struggle.  Perhaps  they  would  say  it  is  I 
who  have  no  pity."  And  he  laughed  harshly  as 
he  descended  the  street. 

The  administering  of  "extreme  unction"  was 
the  last  rite  performed  in  the  sick-room.  The 
priest  made  some  alteration  in  his  outer  garments, 
while  an  attendant  prepared  the  holy  oil  in  a  con- 
venient vessel.  Beginning  at  the  eyes,  each  feature 
of  the  face  was  anointed  in  turn  by  the  priest's  fore- 
finger dipped  in  the  oil,  and  lastly,  the  hands,  feet, 
and  limbs.  Small  wads  of  cotton  were  at  hand  for 
removing  the  oil  after  each  application,  and  at  the 
end  these  were  all  collected  with  care  for  burning. 
Each  sinning  member  of  the  dying  body  being 
thus  absolved  and  consecrated,  more  prayers  fol- 
lowed. At  length  the  priest  and  his  following  went 
away,  leaving  a  crucifix  laid  on  Justo's  breast  and 
outward  peace  in  the  darkening  chamber. 

The  old  woman  was  left  alone  to  watch  as  long 
as  it  should  be  necessary.  The  images  and  the 
vials  of  holy  water  pressed  closely  against  Justo's 
cold  feet  were  not  more  lifeless  than  he  seemed  as 
he  lay  with  half-open  eyes  turned  toward  the  table 
upon  which  the  candles  still  burned.  A  rudely-col- 
ored painting  of  the  Virgin  hung  above  this  table, 
wreathed  with  green  boughs  and  paper  roses. 


254  THE  senora's  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

The  watcher  dozed  on  the  doorstep  and  did  not 
notice  the  stir  upon  the  bed,  as  Justo  feebly  lifted 
his  hand  and  pushed  the  weight  of  the  crucifix  from 
his  chest.  Then  his  hand  fumbled  restlessly  at  the 
fastening  of  his  shirt. 

"  Clara  !  "   he  whispered  ;   "  hasta  la  muerte" 

A  few  moments  later  the  bells  struck  six  o'clock 
and  the  nurse  roused  and  crept  toward  the  bed. 
Justo  Prieto  was  dead,  with  a  smile  upon  his  lips, 
and  his  right  hand  firmly  grasping  the  packet  of 
letters  lying  upon  his  heart.  The  crucifix  had 
slipped  beneath  the  sheet. 

With  many  crossings  of  herself  and  muttered 
calls  upon  Mary,  "the  refuge  of  dying  sinners,"  the 
old  woman  replaced  the  crucifix  and  went  out  to 
send  word  to  the  priest  that  all  was  over. 

The  death  chamber  was  then  arranged  with  little 
delay,  and  the  body  of  Justo  Prieto,  while  awaiting 
removal  to  the  church,  lay  clothed  in  his  priestly 
robes,  with  his  head  freshly  tonsured,  and  his  little 
square  cap,  with  a  crucifix  beneath,  laid  upon  his 
breast. 

The  packet  of  letters  was  removed  from  the 
death  grip  with  much  difficulty  and  confided  to  the 
male  attendant  of  the  late  priest,  who  had  written 
more  than  once  during  Justo's  illness  to  the  Sefiora 
Barreda  of  Guadalajara.  This  attendant,  before 
leaving  the  room,  stopped  for  a  moment  to  assort 
the  letters  and  to  put  them  into  better  shape,  find- 


HOMING    TREASURES  2$  5 

ing  them  loosened  and  disarranged  from  their  long 
contact  with  the  sick  man.  He  felt  no  disposition 
to  read  them.  The  sefiora  had  confided  to  him 
that  the  letters  so  jealously  guarded  by  the  patient 
were  on  business  of  no  importance  to  any  one  save 
herself  and  Justo,  and  she  had  added  that  the  sick 
man  must  not  be  again  disturbed  concerning  them 
until  he  should  be  better. 

As  the  man  shuffled  them  into  place  and  was 
about  to  tie  the  string  more  tightly  about  them,  a 
photograph,  wrapped  carefully  in  white  tissue  paper, 
slipped  from  between  the  envelopes.  Examination 
of  the  picture  revealed  a  beautiful  young  face  with 
melting  eyes,  whose  tender  mouth  seemed  about 
to  pronounce  the  words,  written  in  a  fine  Spanish 
hand  on  the  lower  margin  of  the  card,  "A  mi  Justo 
de  su  Clara.  Hasta  la  muerte.  Guadalajara — Se- 
ville."1 

The  man  cast  a  guilty  look  over  his  shoulder 
upon  the  dead  priest,  as  he  hurriedly  replaced  the 
photograph  between  the  letters.  He  felt  as  if  that 
grimly  peaceful  face  were  reproaching  him  for  the 
glance  at  the  picture.  He  himself  hoped  some  day 
to  take  orders,  and  when  he  should  be  a  priest  he 
knew  very  well  that  he  would  not  be  expected  to 
carry  beautiful  faces  and  touching  legends  upon  his 
heart,  whether  living  or  dying. 

Yet  the  criticism  that  arose  in  his  mind  toward 

1  "To  my  Justo  from  his  Clara.     Until  death." 


256  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

this  " brother"  was  chastened  by  the  fact  that 
Prieto  was  now  infinitely  beyond  him  in  all  expe- 
rience, in  all  knowledge,  in  more  even  than  what 
seminaries  and  travel  could  impart.  He  shrugged 
his  shoulders  and  left  the  room  with  the  packet  in 
his  pocket. 

"I  would  leave  the  poor  fellow  his  picture  if  I 
dared,"  he  thought;  ''but  it  might  be  found  and 
subjected  to  rougher  treatment  than  the  sefiora  will 
give  it.  Perhaps,  after  all,  it  is  the  picture  of  a 
sister." 

Earthly  ambitions  and  intrigues  at  an  end ! 
Love  only  till  death  !  What  remained  for  poor  Don 
Justo?  Did  his  soul  go  out  into  the  dark,  groping 
among  the  shadows  of  purgatory  for  a  vision  of  the 
woman,  Mary,  who  was  to  intercede  for  him  be- 
yond the  grave  at  the  door  of  heaven,  while  heaven 
itself  lay  just  beyond  the  last  beat  of  the  laboring 
heart,  and  God  and  his  rejoicing  angels  would  so 
gladly  have  taken  him  to  themselves  into  the  blessed 
light? 

They  never  come  back  to  tell  us  about  their 
faring  on  the  road  beween  death  and  life,  so  how 
can  we  know  of  "the  passing"  of  the  dead?  But 
one  thing  we  do  know,  that  there  are  those  who 
fall  asleep  in  Jesus,  and  these  will  God,  one  day, 
bring  with  him.     Was  Justo  Prieto  one  of  these? 


VI 


ON  the  afternoon  of  All  Saints'  Day,  the  first 
of  November,  several  of  the  older  school- 
girls had  been  taken  by  the  Sefiorita  Dora  for  a 
walk  to  the  hill  of  the  American  fort.  Most  of  the 
group  of  eight  or  ten  belonged  to  this  teacher's  Eng- 
lish class,  and  the  expedition  had  been  planned  as  a 
farewell  jaunt  before  the  final  breaking-up  of  school. 
There  had  been  merienda l  of  buns  and  fruit  on  the 
crest  of  the  hill,  a  game  of  hide-and-seek  among 
the  crumbling  mud  walls  of  the  old  fort,  and  lastly 
a  quiet  talk  together,  as  they  rested  for  a  while  on 
the  rocks  before  descending  into  the  city. 

The  descent  was  an  easy  accomplishment,  for  the 
slope  of  the  hill  was  very  steep,  and  there  was  no 
question  of  walking  down  for  these  nimble  maidens. 
Brown-cheeked  women  looked  up  with  sympathetic 
interest  from  washing  their  clothes  in  the  running 
streams  near  the  foot  of  the  hill,  as  the  girls  and 
their  bright-eyed  teacher  ran  merrily  past  in  a 
heedless  scramble  down  hill.  Here  and  there,  on 
the  slope  of  the  hill,  men  were  at  work  in  the  late 
hours  of  the  afternoon  setting  out  a  small  plantation 
of  maguey  plants,  and  at  still  another  point,  nearer 

1  Afternoon  lunch. 

R  257 


258  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

the  foot  of  the  slope,  a  mud-streaked  peon  was 
intent  upon  his  task  of  molding  adobes,  huge  bricks 
of  whitish  mud,  mixed  with  chopped  straw,  to  be 
afterward  dried  in  the  sun. 

Lucita's  face  became  rather  grave  as  she  lingered 
for  just  a  moment  at  the  senorita's  side,  to  watch 
the  man  deftly  overturning  the  soft  bricks  upon  the 
ground  from  the  rough  wooden  mold  in  his  hands. 

"It  reminded  me  of  papa"  she  said  softly,  as 
they  hurried  on  behind  the  girls. 

When  the  little  party  at  length  entered  the  city 
streets,  their  ranks  came  to  order  again,  and  they 
continued  the  descent  along  the  Calle  Real,  walk- 
ing two  by  two,  the  Senorita  Dora  closing  in  the 
rear  with  Angela  Vera  at  her  side. 

Ninfa  with  Lucita  walked  in  front,  and  the  former 
could  not  understand  the  gravity  that  had  fallen 
upon  her  sister's  face  since  they  had  left  the  crest 
of  the  hill  behind  them.  She  herself  was  as  light- 
hearted  as  a  bluebird  in  the  spring,  and  the  crisp- 
ness  of  the  afternoon  air  seemed  to  make  her  feel 
as  if  all  the  world  should  be  as  care-free  as  herself. 

"Oh,  look,  Luz,"  she  cried,  when  more  than 
half-way  down  the  street  toward  the  plaza,  "there 
has  been  a  ceremony  of  some  kind  in  the  house 
across  the  street.  Perhaps  it  was  a  baptism  of 
some  little  baby,  for  there  is  the  priest  coming  out 
and  the  attendants.  Are  not  the  little  boys  cun- 
ning in  their  white  camisas  and  purple  gowns?" 


HOMING    TREASURES  259 

"Be  quiet,  Ninfa,"  Luz  said  quickly.  "Do  you 
not  see  that  everybody  along  the  street  is  kneeling? 
Some  one  is  dying  or  dead  in  that  house  and  the 
priest  has  just  come  away.  No,  do  not  kneel, 
Ninfa,"  Luz  added,  in  an  authoritative  whisper. 
"What  would  the  senorita  say?  Besides,  there  is 
no  reason  why  you  should,  unless  you  are  afraid." 

"I  am  not  afraid,"  Ninfa  returned;  but  her  lips 
were  trembling  and  her  cheeks  had  lost  their  color, 
as  she  clung  closely  to  her  sister's  arm. 

Their  words  had  not  been  heeded  by  the  others 
of  the  party  who  were  too  much  interested  in  the 
scene  on  the  other  side  of  the  street  to  have  eyes 
for  Ninfa.  She  happened  to  be  the  only  one  of 
them  all  who  might  have  been  expected  to  have 
more  than  a  curious  interest  in  the  behavior  of 
their  fellow-pedestrians,  having  been  accustomed 
from  childhood  to  bow  the  knee  at  the  passing  of 
the  "host." 

The  priest  slowly  crossed  the  sidewalk  from  the 
doorway  of  the  house  where  Justo  Prieto  lay  in  the 
stupor  of  exhaustion,  and  carrying  the  pyx  rev- 
erently in  his  hands  entered  the  carriage  in  waiting. 
He  was  followed  by  two  attendants,  the  pretty  boys 
in  their  ceremonial  dress,  and  then  the  coachman 
with  bared  head  drove  slowly  away  down  the  street 
toward  the  cathedral,  one  or  two  blocks  away.  Up 
and  down  the  street,  as  far  as  one  could  see,  every 
person   except   the   schoolgirls  and   their   teacher, 


260  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

dropped  upon  reverent  knees  and  watched  the 
passing  of  the  honored  coach.  Men  took  off  their 
hats  as  they  knelt  on  the  stones,  and  women  crossed 
themselves  and  ejaculated  prayer  sentences  as  their 
eyes  followed  the  vehicle  bearing  "the  veritable 
body  of  our  Lord."  A  number  of  little  children 
playing  outside  a  door  promptly  plumped  them- 
selves down  upon  the  cobble  stones,  in  imitation  of 
their  elders,  and  raised  laughing  faces  toward  Ninfa 
and  Luz  as  the  girls  walked  quietly  past. 

The  older  faces,  whose  glances  met  those  of  this 
little  group  of  "unbelievers"  who  refused  to  salute 
the  "host,"  were  neither  laughing  nor  agreeable  in 
expression.  Yet  nothing  worse  than  black  looks 
was  hurled  at  the  trespassers,  and  an  occasional 
mutter  of  "condemned  Protestants." 

Ninfa,  and  indeed  all  the  rest,  breathed  sighs  of 
relief  when  the  coach  at  length  passed  out  of  sight 
in  turning  a  corner  toward  a  side  entrance  of  the 
church,  and  the  spell  was  removed  from  the  street. 

"  I  was  afraid  not  to  kneel  this  afternoon,  Luz 
mia"  Ninfa  confided  to  her  sister  that  night  at  bed- 
time. "Mama  and  I  always  kneel  when  wTe  see 
the  coachman  driving  in  the  street  without  a  hat  on 
his  head.  Oh,  it  is  a  wonderful  sight,  when  one  is 
in  the  plaza  in  Guadalajara,  to  see  hundreds  of 
people  drop  on  their  knees  as  if  struck  by  light- 
ning ;  and  I  have  never  before  to-day  seen  any  one 
standing  as  the  '  host '  passes  by.     The  gentlemen 


HOMING    TREASURES  26  I 

spread  their  handkerchiefs  on  the  ground  to  kneel 
upon,  but  mama  does  not  mind  soiling  her  silk 
dress  when  she  sees  our  Lord  passing  by.  Why 
would  you  not  let  me  kneel,  Luz,  and  why  did  not 
the  sefiorita  kneel  ?  Did  you  see  the  ugly  looks 
those  women  gave  us  as  we  passed,  and  one  girl 
twitched  the  skirt  of  my  dress  and  called  me  a 
gringa.  Is  it  that  the  foreigners  do  not  worship  the 
'host'?" 

"  How  many  questions  you  ask,  Ninfa,"  Luz  re- 
plied, half  laughing,  half  serious.  "  I  wish  you 
would  ask  the  senoritas  half  the  questions  you  put 
to  me.    They  could  answer  them  better  than  I  can." 

"  But  you  can  tell  me  why  you  did  not  kneel, 
Luz,"  the  other  persisted. 

The  lights  were  out  in  the  dormitory,  and  this 
conversation  was  carried  on  in  the  low  tones  suited 
to  the  hour.  As  usual,  the  two  beds  stood  closely 
side  by  side,  and  what  passed  between  the  two  sis- 
ters could  reach  other  wakeful  ears  only  as  mean- 
ingless murmurs. 

"  Because  I  am  a  Protestant,  Ninfa,"  was  the 
direct  reply.  "  We  do  not  believe  that  the  wafer 
is  the  real  body  of  Jesus  Christ." 

"  But  all  of  you  eat  it,  or  rather,  you  eat  broken 
bits  of  bread  in  the  place  of  it,"  Ninfa  objected. 
"  I  have  been  to  the  Santa  Cena,  at  your  church, 
you  know,  and  have  seen  you  eat  the  bread.  Why 
do  you  do  it,  if  it  is  not  the  Lord's  body?  " 


262  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"  We  do  it  for  a  remembrance  of  him,  as  he  told 
his  disciples  to  do,  Ninfa.  That  is  all  I  know 
about  it,  except  that  it  cannot  be  his  real  body.  It 
is  only  plain  bread,  such  as  we  eat  every  day  in  the 
dining  room,  or  if  it  is  a  wafer  it  is  a  paste  of  flour 
and  water.  Do  you  think  the  disciples  of  Jesus  ate 
his  real  body,  Ninfa,  when  they  ate  that  last  supper 
together?  " 

"Why  not?"   Ninfa  asked  innocently. 

"Because  he  was  not  yet  dead,  child  ;  and  was 
sitting  at  the  table  with  them  eating  supper.  How 
could  they  have  eaten  bits  of  his  body  when  he 
was  still  alive,  foolish  girl  ?  And  how  can  a  priest, 
or  any  man,  change  a  piece  of  wafer  into  the  body 
of  Christ  by  saying  a  few  Latin  words  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know,"  was  Ninfa' s  perplexed  answer. 
"  I  know  that  mama  thinks  they  can,  and  we  have 
never  heard  anything  else.  Oh,  dear,  it  seems  as 
if  you  and  I  have  such  different  thoughts,  Luz, 
about  religion  !  I  wonder  if  we  shall  ever  think 
alike.  Perhaps  some  day  we  shall  quarrel  and  be 
sorry  that  we  have  ever  found  each  other.  Are 
sisters  always  like  this?  " 

Luz  clasped  Ninfa  in  her  arms  and  consoled  her 
with  silent  caresses. 

Ninfa  was  like  a  kitten  in  the  enjoyment  of  loving 
pats  and  strokings,  and  I  am  not  sure  that  she  did 
not  sometimes  purposely  work  upon  Lucita's  tender 
feelings  in   order  to  win  the  petting  she   desired. 


HOMING    TREASURES  263 

This  was  not  such  a  time,  however,  for  there  had 
been  a  real  struggle  going  on  in  Ninfa's  mind  for 
many  days.  Mingled  with  the  exultant  joy  of  these 
happy  days  there  had  been  a  sense  of  pain  from  the 
first  at  the  thought  that  though  sisters,  she  and  Luz 
could  never  be  entirely  one  while  so  divided  upon 
one  great  subject. 

She  had  no  thought  of  trying  to  win  Luz  back  to 
the  church  into  which  as  infants  they  had  been  ad- 
mitted almost  eighteen  years  before,  nor  could  she 
know  that  the  patient  sweetness  of  her  sister's 
manner  toward  herself  was  due  to  a  certain  hope 
tapping  gently  at  the  Protestant  girl's  heart  of  what 
might  happen  some  day.  Yet  Luz  was  surprised 
at  the  unexpectedly  speedy  answer  to  her  prayers. 
The  "day"  was  not  long  in  coming. 

"We  are  alike  in  so  many  other  ways,"  Ninfa 
whispered  a  little  later.  "  Or  at  least  we  shall  be 
after  living  together  for  a  while  in  our  own  home. 
We  both  like  pretty  things,  and  we  love  each  other 
dearly,  even  if  you  are  fair  and  I  as  dark  as  an 
Indian." 

"As  if  that  could  make  any  difference!"  Luz 
answered  softly.  "  Go  to  sleep  now,  Ninfa,  or  you 
will  be  sleepy  to-morrow,  and  stupid  for  the  exami- 
nations." 

"You  are  such  a  cat  for  going  to  sleep,  Lucita," 
Ninfa  retorted  petulantly.  "Just  when  we  get  to 
an   interesting   part  of  our   talking   at   night,   you 


264  THE    SENOKA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

always  turn  over  and  say,  'Go  to  sleep,  Ninfa,  or 
you  will  be  stupid.'  I  am  'stupid'  whether  asleep 
or  not;  Justo  always  called  me  so." 

"Well,  you  are  cross  now,"  Luz  replied  drowsily, 
"so  I  shall  go  to  sleep  and  leave  you." 

She  turned  her  head  on  the  pillow  as  she  spoke 
and  composed  herself  for  sleep,  with  her  arms 
crossed  above  her  head. 

Released  from  her  sister's  embrace,  Ninfa  also 
pretended  to  sleep,  and  Luz  was  falling  into  her 
first  doze  when  she  heard  a  heartbroken  sob,  and 
in  another  moment  was  making  distressed  efforts  to 
discover  what  ailed  the  excitable  child  at  her  side. 

"If  the  color  of  my  skin  does  not  make  any  dif- 
ference, something  else  does,"  Ninfa  said  brokenly 
at  last.  "You  never  will  love  me  enough  while 
you  are  a  Protestant  and  I  a  Catholic." 

"Would  you  like  me  to  be  a  Catholic,  little 
sister?"  Luz  asked  in  troubled  tones. 

"No!  no!"  was  the  smothered  reply;  "but  I 
could  be  a  Protestant,  could  I  not,  Luz?" 

"Darling,  what  would  your  grandmother  say  and 
do  to  you  if  you  should  become  a  Protestant?" 
Luz  asked  fearfully,  with  hope  thumping  wildly  at 
her  heart's  doors  now. 

"Angela  says  that  she  would  be  ashamed  to  be 
a  Protestant,"  Ninfa  continued  in  a  more  composed 
voice  ;  "but  I  should  be  only  a  little  afraid,  I  think, 
not  ashamed.     Mama  would  be  angry,  perhaps,  but 


HOMING    TREASURES  265 

she  loves  me  too  well  to  hurt  me,  and  then  you  and 
I  would  be  alike,  Lucita ;  don't  you  see?  We 
cannot  be  real  twins  unless  I  am  a  Protestant  too, 
and  mama  will  rejoice  so  much  over  having  us 
together  that  she  will  forgive  us  both." 

Luz  was  a  little  chjlled  by  Ninfa's  words  and 
hardly  knew  how  to  reply.  She  was  quite  sure 
that  no  one  would  be  admitted  into  a  Protestant 
church  for  such  a  reason  as  Ninfa  had  suggested, 
the  making  "real  twins"  of  two  sisters  divided  by 
their  religious  creeds. 

"You  are  not  sleepy  now,  are  you?"  Ninfa  con- 
tinued. "Listen,  how  quiet  everything  is.  Luz 
Coiro  is  snoring,  but  that  is  all  the  noise  there  is, 
and  you  and  I  are  like  two  owls  chatting  together 
in  the  dark.  Your  eyes  look  like  owls'  eyes,  to- 
night, Luz;  does  your  head  ache?" 

"No,  but  I  wish  you  would  be  quiet,  Ninfa,  if 
you  have  said  all  you  have  to  say  and  are  not  going 
to  cry  any  more." 

"Now  it  is  you  who  are  cross,"  Ninfa  exclaimed, 
"and  I  thought  you  would  be  glad  to  hear  about 
my  being  a  Protestant." 

"You  cannot  be  a  Protestant  just  because  you 
want  to  be  like  me,  Ninfa,"  Luz  said  solemnly, 
resigning  herself  to  another  discussion  with  her 
sister. 

"But  that  is  only  one  reason,  Luz.  I  will  tell 
you  the  others.      For  one  thing,  I  love  to  read  the 


266  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

Bible  as  you  and  the  sefioritas  do,  and  I  like  the 
Protestant  worship  better  than  the  Catholic  because 
I  understand  every  word  of  it.  Then  I  have  not 
prayed  to  the  Virgin  Mary  for  six  weeks,  and  I  do 
not  believe  that  priests  ought  to  make  people  con- 
fess their  sins  to  them  when  they  are  like  other 
men  and  often  sin  themselves.  And  I  believe  what 
you  told  me  to-night  about  the  sacrament,  that  it 
is  not  the  Lord's  real  body.  Now,"  she  ended, 
"is  not  that  something  like  being  a  Protestant?" 

Luz  was  puzzled  to  know  what  to  reply. 

"That  is  the  way  we  believe  about  those  things, 
Ninfa,"  she  answered  after  a  moment;  "but  there 
is  something  more,  I  am  sure.  I  do  not  believe 
that  the  pastor  would  be  satisfied  with  just  that 
much  and  no  more." 

"  Lean  your  ear  close  to  my  mouth,  Lucita  dear," 
Ninfa  whispered  ;  "there  is  something  more  to  tell 
you." 

Then  she  repeated,  word  for  word,  the  verses 
written  upon  the  forget-me-not  card  given  her  long 
ago  by  the  missionary  teacher  in  Guadalajara. 

"I  know  now,"  she  went  on,  "that  God  wants 
everybody  to  be  saved,  and  that  Christ  is  the  only 
intercessor.  Last  Sunday,  in  the  class,  I  was  won- 
dering in  my  mind  how  people  are  saved,  and  the 
Sefiorita  Dora  began  right  away  to  teach  us  a  verse. 
This  was  it,  '  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and 
thou  shalt  be  saved.'      I  do  believe  on  the  Lord 


HOMING    TREASURES  267 

Jesus  Christ,  Luz,  and  so  I  shall  be  saved.  Now 
am  I  not  a  Protestant?"  she  ended,  with  a  half- 
frightened  catch  in  her  voice  and  covering  her  head 
with  the  bedclothes. 

"  O  Ninfa,  you  are  if  you  believe!"  Luz  ex- 
claimed joyfully;  "and  now  we  shall  be  'real 
twins,'  as  you  say.  To-morrow  we  will  go  to  the 
sefiorita  and  tell  her  all  about  it." 

"Is  it  not  a  good  thing  to  be  sisters?"  Ninfa 
asked,  after  a  moment  or  two  of  awed  silence  be- 
tween them.  "  I  am  so  glad  you  did  not  die  when 
you  were  a  little  baby  lying  on  the  floor  of  that 
dreadful  house.  Dona  Teresa  was  a  good  woman 
to  take  care  of  you  and  nurse  you.  I  wish  our 
mother  had  not  died  ;  poor  little  mother  !  Do  you 
believe  that  her  ghost  is  walking  about  to-night, 
Luz,  and  papas?  Mama  says  that  dead  people's 
ghosts  walk  about  the  earth  on  the  night  of  All 
Saints.  I  should  think  our  mother  and  father 
would  be  glad  to  come  here  now  and  find  us  to- 
gether." 

"  Perhaps  they  know  about  it  without  coming 
here,"  Luz  answered  ;  "  and  I  think  that  it  is  only  a 
superstition  that  makes  people  believe  that  ghosts 
walk  about  on  this  night.  The  Sefiorita  Julia  says 
that  the  spirits  of  the  dead  may  be  with  us  all  the 
time,  as  God  is,  but  she  is  not  sure  about  it." 

"I  like  to  think  about  good  spirits,  but  not  about 
the  bad  ones,  Luz."     And  Ninfa  shuddered,  cud- 


268  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

dling  close  at  her  sister's  side.  "  It  looks  cold  and 
dark  out  of  doors,  and  I  am  glad  we  have  locks  on 
our  doors  now,  though  I  do  not  suppose  locks 
could  keep  spirits  out." 

After  a  little  more  talk  together,  the  girls  finally 
dropped  off  to  sleep,  a  little  while  before  the  bells 
tolled  midnight. 

If  any  spirit  walked  that  night  in  the  silence  of 
that  sleeping  chamber,  it  was  the  great  spirit  of 
Love,  I  think,  and  his  soft  footfalls  must  have  lin- 
gered beside  the  two  little  beds  drawn  close  to- 
gether in  the  corner.  Whether  the  Vicente  and 
the  Manuela  of  long  ago  really  overlooked  their 
twin  children  as  they  slept,  is  not  for  me  to  say. 

Ninfa  and  Luz  were  united  at  last,  as  no  elabo- 
rate intrigue  of  any  priest's  designing  could  have 
effected.  The  hand  of  God,  with  finger  pointed 
straight  ahead,  ever  leads  his  children  on  to  their 
inheritance  of  his  joy  and  peace. 

The  next  morning,  before  the  sun  looked  over 
the  walls  of  the  institute  building  into  the  cleanly 
swept  court,  the  Sefiorita  Julia  left  her  room  and 
walked  slowly  toward  the  hydrant  with  her  empty 
water-pitcher  in  her  hand.  Suddenly,  as  she  stood 
upon  the  wet  stones  by  the  water  pipe,  she  felt  a 
touch  upon  her  arm  and,  starting  nervously,  found 
Luz  and  Ninfa  standing  at  her  side.  Their  faces 
were  turned  to  the  eastern  sky,  but  they  shone  with 
something  more  than  a  reflection  of  its  brightness. 


HOMING    TREASURES  269 

"Twin  morning  stars,  good-day  to  you,"  the 
teacher  cried  in  quick  response  to  their  soft-voiced 
salutations.      "  What  early  birds  you  are  !  " 

"  We  have  been  waiting  for  you  for  a  long  time, 
senorita,"  Luz  explained  while  the  water  splashed 
unnoticed  from  the  overflowing  pitcher  at  the  spout. 
11  We  have  something  to  tell  you,  and  we  wished 
to  see  you  before  the  rest  of  the  girls  came  about." 

Ninfa  deftly  turned  off  the  water,  and  taking 
the  pitcher  from  the  sefiorita's  hand,  ran  nimbly 
off  with  it  to  set  it  down  at  the  chamber  door. 
She  looked  pleadingly  at  Luz  as  she  tripped  away, 
and  the  sister  understood. 

"  It  is  about  Ninfa,"  she  said  to  the  senorita, 
who  had  waited  to  hear  what  was  to  follow  Lucita's 
first  words.  "  Senorita  mia,  she  is  a  Protestant  in 
her  heart,  and  we  wish  to  know  if  she  may  not 
join  with  us  before  we  go  away  from  Saltillo." 

The  senorita  sat  quickly  down  upon  the  step  of 
the  fountain  and  motioned  the  girls  to  a  seat,  one 
on  each  side  of  her,  for  Ninfa  had  shyly  returned, 
and  was  watching  her  face  in  silent  expectancy. 

"What  are  you  saying,  senorita?"  Luz  asked 
presently,  as  the  teacher's  lips  moved  voicelessly, 
while  her  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  floating  cloud- 
lets above  the  court. 

"  I  was  thanking  the  Lord  for  his  goodness,  and 
asking  his  forgiveness  for  my  unbelief,"  was  the 
reply.      "  Ah,  girls,  never  distrust  him  for  one  mo- 


27O  THE   SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

ment,  when  you  have  asked  his  help.  Last  night 
I  scarcely  slept  at  all,  and  this  morning  I  left  my 
room  with  my  heart  as  heavy  as  lead.  I  thought 
of  the  end  of  the  session,  and  of  the  girls  who 
might  never  return  to  our  care,  and  it  seemed  to 
me  that  I  had  been  a  very  unfaithful  child  of  my 
Father,  while  all  the  Latin  and  history  and  arith- 
metic that  I  had  been  able  to  teach  you,  seemed 
of  no  value  in  comparison  with  what  might  have 
been  learned  of  the  Saviour's  life  and  death,  and 
his  love  for  sinners.  Now  God  himself  has  been 
opening  the  eyes  of  one  at  least  of  our  dear  girls, 
and  I  need  not  have  worried  all  last  night  over 
Ninfa  and  Angela  and  the  rest."  She  put  her 
arm  around  Ninfa  as  she  spoke  and  pressed  her  to 
her  side.  "Tell  me,  dear  child,  all  about  it,"  she 
urged. 

When  the  simple  story  had  been  told,  much  as 
it  had  been  heard  by  Luz  during  the  previous  night, 
the  senorita  asked  Ninfa  a  few  tender  but  searching 
questions  as  to  her  convictions  and  her  intentions 
for  the  future.  These  were  answered  so  readily, 
and  with  such  childlike  trust  in  the  Saviour's  power 
to  forgive  and  save,  that  the  senorita  was  satisfied 
of  Ninfa's  earnestness  and  courage. 

"  I  do  not  believe  that  I  shall  be  afraid  of  mama 
now,"  she  ended,  "because  even  telling  you  and 
Luz  about  it  has  made  it  seem  more  real  and 
true." 


HOMING    TREASURES  2J  \ 

"  What  will  you  say  to  her,  Ninfa?"  Luz  asked, 
with  sober  lips. 

"  I  shall  write  and  tell  her  that  I  find  we  have 
been  mistaken  about  the  Protestants,  and  that  they 
teach  the  truth  of  the  Bible.  I  shall  ask  her  if  I 
may  join  the  church  of  the  americanos  here,  and 
then  when  she  comes  I  shall  tell  her  more  about 
what  it  means." 

"And  if  the  Senora  Barreda  forbids  your  joining 
with  us  and  leaving  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
Ninfa?"   the  teacher  asked. 

"I  shall  do  it  all  the  same,"  was  the  quiet  reply, 
"and  mama  will  not  think  me  disobedient  when 
once  she  hears  all  about  it.  I  shall  read  my  Bible 
to  her,  you  see,  and  as  mama  is  very  clever  indeed, 
she  will  see  the  mistakes  that  are  made  by  those 
who  do  not  read  it."  A  week  passed,  however, 
and  Ninfa' s  letter,  bearing  to  the  grandmother  the 
news  of  her  momentous  decision,  was  still  unan- 
swered. The  truth  was  that  the  senora  had  been 
seriously  affected  by  the  priest's  death,  the  tidings 
of  which  had  been  received  at  about  the  same  time 
as  Ninfa's  news.  Mingled  superstition  and  remorse 
at  the  thought  of  the  part  she  had  unwittingly 
played  in  bringing  about  poor  Justo's  end,  some- 
what weakened  the  impression  made  upon  her 
mind  by  her  granddaughter's  letter.  Perhaps  she 
did  not  altogether  realize  what  the  words  "joining 
the  Protestants"  might  mean  when  penned  by  the 


2J2  THE    SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

hand  of  her  little  one.  How  improved  was  her 
handwriting,  and  how  well  turned  were  the  sen- 
tences of  the  earnest  little  letter  ! 

"After  all  I  did  well  in  sending  the  girl  to  the 
Americans,"  the  senora  mused,  in  the  midst  of  her 
self-reproachings  concerning  Justo's  fate.  "The 
school  is  all  that  Justo  declared  it,  and  surely  I 
shall  be  able  to  command  or  coax  all  nonsense 
about  the  new  religion  out  of  Ninfa's  head  when 
once  I  have  her,  with  her  sister,  in  my  own  house 
again,  and  out  of  the  way  of  the  protestantes." 

The  session  being  so  nearly  at  an  end,  and  the 
grandmother's  silence  continuing,  it  was  judged  by 
Ninfa's  advisers  unnecessary  to  longer  await  the 
sefiora's  expressed  opinion  concerning  the  matter. 

A  few  days  before  the  closing  exercises  of  the 
institute,  therefore,  Ninfa  Barreda  confessed  in 
public  her  faith  in  Christ  as  the  Saviour  of  her 
soul,  and  the  only  mediator  between  God  and  man, 
renouncing  forever  the  church  in  which  she  had 
been  reared.  She  was  not  alone  that  bright  Sun- 
day morning  in  choosing  whom  she  would  serve, 
for  Angela  Vera  joined  with  her  in  her  vows  of 
obedience  and  faithfulness  to  the  Lord. 

"I  am  not  ashamed  now,"  Angela  whispered, 
as  she  walked  homeward  from  the  morning  service 
at  Ninfa's  side. 

"  Nor  am  I  so  much  afraid  of  mama"  Ninfa  re- 
plied, with  unusual  gentleness. 


HOMING    TREASURES  273 

Carmen  Diaz,  walking  just  in  front  of  the  two 
girls,  carried  her  glossy  black  head  a  trifle  higher 
than  usual,  and  pretended  to  be  very  much  inter- 
ested in  all  that  was  going  on  in  the  plaza,  as  the 
long  line  of  girls,  two  by  two,  strolled  quietly 
under  the  trees,  but  who  shall  say  that  her  girlish 
heart  was  untouched  by  the  scene  just  witnessed 
in  the  little  church  behind  them  ?  Many  a  grave 
thought  is  belied  by  laughing  lips  and  sparkling 
eyes,  but  the  Searcher  of  hearts  is  never  deceived, 
and  his  guiding  hand  often  lies  heavy  upon  the 
merry  of  mien. 


VII 


ON  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  November,  the  blue 
mountain  peak  in  the  east  peered  over  the 
low  roof  the  Madero  Institute  into  an  empty  court 
and  silent  corridors.  The  busy  hum  of  voices  in 
the  long  schoolrooms  was  hushed  for  the  vacation 
season,  and  the  brewery  doves  had  the  fountain  to 
themselves  at  last.  Fearlessly  they  plumed  them- 
selves and  strutted  with  swelling  breasts,  lifting 
their  pink  feet  gingerly  from  the  hot  curbing,  or 
balanced  their  plump  bodies  on  the  brink  to  lave 
their  small  heads  in  the  flashing  water.  Their  jew- 
eled necks  gleamed  in  the  morning  sunlight  and 
their  cooing  notes  made  harmonious  accord  with 
the  musical  tinkle  of  the  falling  drops. 

The  last  crash  of  the  piano  keys  had  sounded 
there  two  nights  before,  when  all  the  town  had 
assembled  in  the  wide  court  under  the  temporary 
roof  of  canvas,  to  hear  the  concert  and  the  recita- 
tions given  by  the  girls,  and  to  witness  the  delivery 
of  the  diplomas  by  the  governor  of  the  State. 
The  last  notes  of  the  beautiful  air,  "La  Golondrina" 
played  by  a  Mexican  band,  had  swept  through  the 
emptying  corridors  at  a  little  before  midnight,  and 
the  last  day  of  the  session  had  ended. 
274 


HOMING    TREASURES  275 

Carriages  had  rolled  away  from  the  institute 
doors  at  all  hours  of  the  following  day,  filled  with 
girls  and  boxes,  and  although  sighs  and  lamenta- 
tions had  accompanied  each  departure,  their  ghosts 
no  longer  lingered  in  the  echoing  corners  of  the 
corridors. 

In  the  spacious  parlor  of  the  institute,  several 
persons  were  gathered  for  a  farewell  talk  on  this 
quiet  morning.  The  Senorita  Julia  was  there, 
shivering  a  little  in  the  cold  room,  having  just  left 
a  merry  blaze  on  her  chamber  hearth  ;  the  Senorita 
Dora's  slender  figure  was  almost  lost  in  the  wide 
embrace  of  one  of  the  great  Austrian  rocking- 
chairs.  Near  by  sat  the  Sefiora  Barreda,  with  a 
granddaughter  on  each  side  of  her.  The  sefiora 
had  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  the  institute  for  a 
day  and  a  night  after  the  final  exercises,  and  the 
three  were  now  waiting  for  the  carriage  which  was 
to  carry  them  to  the  railroad  station.  Breakfast 
was  just  over,  and  the  train  for  the  south  would 
leave  at  half-past  nine  o'clock. 

Teresa,  with  Pepito  in  her  arms  as  usual,  sat 
crouching  on  the  stones  outside  of  the  open  parlor 
door.  Her  eyes  were  red  with  weeping,  and  her 
head  hung  upon  her  breast. 

"She  is  going  away,  Pepito,"  the  woman  whis- 
pered once  into  the  boy's  ear ;  "  Lucita  will  never 
come  back  again.  Thou  hast  lost  thy  papa,  thou 
hast  lost  thy  sister,  and  we  are   all  alone,  Pepito. 


276  THE   SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

And  Lucita  will  never,  never,  teach  a  roomful  of 
ninas." 

"  A-goo  !  A-goo  !  "  Pepito  remarked  gayly,  giv- 
ing an  encouraging  poke  at  his  mother's  eyes  with 
his  little  brown  fist.  His  remark  being  freely  inter- 
preted may  have  meant : 

"But  the  senora  will  send  for  thee  and  me, 
mamacita,  and  we  shall  live  happily  together  ever 
after." 

At  any  rate,  Teresa  thanked  the  little  one  with 
smothering  kisses,  imprisoning  his  tiny  fists  in  one 
motherly  palm,  so  his  words  must  have  been  of  a 
consoling  nature. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Sefiorita  Dora,  from  the 
depths  of  her  rocking-chair,  was  telling  the  Senora 
Barreda  that  she  could  not  bear  the  thought  that 
Luz  and  Ninfa  might  never  again  return  to  the 
institute,  and  Lucita's  eyes  had  filled  with  ready 
tears  at  her  words.  The  senora  again  explained 
her  reasons  for  her  decision  not  to  send  her  grand- 
daughters from  home  for  another  year  at  school. 
Although  her  reasoning  seemed  simple  enough, 
even  Ninfa  guessed  at  something  hidden  behind 
the  mere  desire  of  keeping  her  sister  and  herself 
under  the  grandmotherly  eye. 

"  I  think  you  know  that  Luz  has  been  for  some 
years  a  member  of  the  Protestant  church,  senora," 
the  Sefiorita  Julia  remarked,  with  some  diffidence, 
after  a  pause.      It  seemed  best  that  there  should  be 


HOMING    TREASURES  277 

a  clear  understanding  with  this  stately  lady  con- 
cerning the  girls'  position,  before  they  should  leave 
the  school,  and  the  sefiorita,  after  some  uncertainty 
of  mind,  had  resolved  to  probe  the  senora's  senti- 
ments upon  the  matter. 

"  That  is  only  natural,  I  am  sure,"  was  the  cour- 
teous reply.  "  If  she  had  been  reared  with  Ninfa, 
she  would  have  been  as  we  are.  As  those  who 
took  her  from  us  became  Protestants  while  Luz  was 
still  a  child,  it  is  natural  that  she  should  be  what 
she  is." 

This  remark  was  made  in  so  composed  a  tone, 
and  was  accompanied  by  a  smiling  glance  at  Luz 
of  such  certainty  of  possession  that  the  sefiorita' s 
heart  sank. 

"Luz  will  always  be  what  she  is  now,  I  think," 
she  said  with  a  friendly  nod  in  the  direction  of  the 
chair,  where  Luz  sat  pale  and  nervous. 

"We  shall  see,"  the  sefiora  replied  easily. 
"There  will  be  no  quarrel  between  us,  I  think,  if 
Luz  does  her  duty  and  remembers  that  her  grand- 
mother has  already  suffered  many  sorrows  on  her 
account.  Once  at  home  in  her  own  rightful  place, 
the  blood  of  her  fathers  will  assert  itself,  and  she 
will  become  what  we  are,  in  many  things  besides 
religious  belief.  I  do  not  mean  to  disparage  your 
religion,  my  dear  sefiorita,"  she  added  politely. 
"We  have  been  reared  differently,  you  see,  that  is 
all,    and  we  have  different  customs.      Religion   is 


2?8  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

little  more  than  a  custom,  if  you  will  think  of  it  in 
that  way,  and  it  is  not  so  difficult  to  change  our 
customs  of  life  and  belief  when  we  are  young,  as  it 
is  when  we  grow  old.  You  who  are  teachers  of 
the  young  will  comprehend  my  meaning,  I  am 
quite  sure.  Indeed,  one  of  Ninfa's  last  letters  has 
prepared  me  for  some  fancied  change  in  herself, 
innocent  little  one  !" 

"  But,  sefiora — mama,  you  do  not  understand,  I 
think,"  Luz  remonstrated,  roused  at  last  to  speak 
for  herself.  "  I  can  never  change  my  belief.  I 
shall  die  a  Protestant.  Oh,  please  do  not  be  angry 
with  me  !"  she  added,  for  the  sefiora's  smile  faded, 
and  a  frown  puckered  her  brow,  at  her  grand- 
daughter's very  plain  speech.  "  I  have  not  said  it 
well,  but  I  cannot  bear  to  have  you  think  that  I 
can  ever  be  different." 

The  sefiora  again  forced  a  smile,  and  managed 
to  be  gracious  in  her  reply  toward  this  surprising 
granddaughter. 

"We  need  not  consume  these  last  precious 
moments  with  your  kind  teachers  with  needless 
discussion,  Luz,"  she  said.  "When  we  arrive  at 
home,  Ninfa  and  I  will  show  you  some  matters  in 
a  different  light.  Then  there  will  be  opportunity 
for  your  assertions  of  independence  of  belief." 

Her  look  was  indulgent  again  now,  but  the 
sefioritas  understood  very  well  the  policy  of  the 
sefiora's  present  moderation. 


HOMING    TREASURES  279 

All  this  time  Ninfa  had  been  uneasy  enough, 
changing  color  more  than  once,  while  wrapping  and 
unwrapping  the  long  fringe  of  the  rebozo  about  her 
nervous  fingers. 

"  Ninfa  understands  me,"  the  grandmother  con- 
tinued, with  a  loving  pat  upon  the  girl's  shoulder. 
"  We  have  lived  together  for  almost  eighteen  years 
now,  and  she  will  teach  her  sister  that  there  is  a 
higher  will  than  hers  in  the  home." 

"There  is  a  higher  will  than  that  of  any  man  or 
woman,  and  it  rules  the  world,"  the  Sefiorita  Julia 
said  solemnly.  "  We  who  acknowledge  that  will 
must  obey  it." 

"  I  know,"  was  the  even  reply  ;  "  but  with  my 
children  there  is  none  higher  than  my  own.  I,  as 
older  and  wiser  than  they,  represent  the  will  of 
God  for  them.      It  is  for  them  to  obey  me." 

"But,  mama"  Ninfa  began,  with  tear-filled  eyes 
and  quivering  chin,  "  I  wrote  you  that  I  also  be- 
lieve  " 

"  What  your  grandmother  believes  ;  of  course 
you  do,  child  ! "  The  sefiora's  chin  was  firmly  set 
as  she  spoke,  yet  her  eyes  rested  tenderly  upon 
her  darling. 

The  tears  were  rolling  down  Ninfa's  cheeks  and 
she  trembled  in  every  limb.  She  looked  helplessly 
at  Luz,  and  then  buried  her  face  in  her  hands. 
Luz  was  sorely  distressed  and  looked  to  the  Sefio- 
rita Julia  for  assistance  for  both  Ninfa  and  herself. 


280  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"  I  think  Ninfa  wished  to  tell  you  that  she  has 
learned  some  things  since  she  has  been  with  us, 
which— " 

"  Of  course  she  has,"  the  grandmother  inter- 
rupted her,  with  suspicious  promptness  very  un- 
like her  usual  courtesy.  "  Have  I  not  expressed 
my  gratification  at  her  progress  in  music,  and  was 
she  not  the  nightingale  of  the  concert,  night  before 
last  ?  In  English  too,  she  has  progressed  well,  the 
Senorita  Dora  assures  me.  What  more  can  I  say 
of  my  satisfaction  than  I  have  already  said?  " 

"  Mama"  Ninfa  began  again  in  a  distressed  tone, 
lifting  her  wet  face  from  her  hands,  "  I  do  not  wish 
to  offend  you.  Some  other  time  I  will  tell  you 
what  I  mean  ;  perhaps  when  we  are  at  home  again. 

I  wrote,  you  know "      Her  head  dropped  and 

she  did  not  again  look  at  Luz  or  her  teachers. 

Teresa  appeared  in  the  doorway  at  that  instant, 
announcing  the  carriage,  and  the  last  farewells  had 
to  be  said. 

"Be  good  to  our  sweet  girl,  senora,"  the  Seno- 
rita Julia  pleaded,  as  the  senora  settled  her  skirts 
on  the  back  seat  of  the  carriage  opposite  the  twins. 
"  Ninfa  is  timid,  but  she  always  wishes  to  do  what 
is  right.  Will  you  not  help  her,  even  if  her  way 
be  not  yours  ?  And  Luz  will  need  your  love  and 
sympathy,  more  even  than  Ninfa,  perhaps.  Por  el 
amor  de  Dios,  sefwra,  be  careful  how  you  oppose 
their  consciences.' $ 


HOMING    TREASURES  28  I 

The  sefiora  grew  restless  under  these  parting 
words,  and  at  the  end  replied  with  forced  gayety  : 

"It  is  easy  to  see  that  you  know  nothing  of  a 
grandmother's  heart,  Sefiorita  Julia.  It  is  my  de- 
sire to  do  my  whole  duty  by  my  daughters.  As  to 
consciences,  I  have  my  own.  Adios,  senoritas,  may 
God  stay  with  you  ! " 

"And  may  he  go  with  you,  dear  children,"  the 
teachers  sighed,  as  they  re-entered  the  iron  gates, 
and  arm  in  arm  paced  the  lonely  corridors  to  their 
own  doors. 

Surely  Guadalajara  had  never  been  so  fragrant 
and  so  fair  as  on  the  afternoon  which  returned 
Ninfa  and  Luz  to  their  southern  home.  The 
warm  sunlight  still  bathed  the  broad  banana  leaves 
in  the  plaza,  and  gilded  the  peaked  roof  of  the 
little  music-pavilion  in  the  center,  as  the  family  car- 
riage rolled  past. 

Opposite  the  plaza  rose  the  cool,  gray  walls  of 
the  city  palace,  flanked  by  towers  at  both  street 
corners.  If  Luz  had  understood  Latin,  her  fast- 
beating  heart  might  have  been  stilled  by  the  read- 
ing of  the  motto  traced  in  stone  about  these  towers  : 
"Nisi  Dominies  custodier et  civitatem,  frustra  vigilat 
qui  custodit  earn"  "Except  the  Lord  keep  the  city, 
the  watchman  waketh  but  in  vain." 

The  letters  were  large  and  plain,  but  the  car- 
riage  rolled  rapidly,   and,  moreover,   Luz  did  not 


282  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

know  Latin.  Both  girls  grew  silent  as  they  neared 
the  end  of  the  short  drive  from  the  station,  and  the 
clear  color  had  left  Lucita's  cheeks,  as  the  carriage 
at  length  rumbled  under  the  portico  of  the  Casa 
Barreda  and  entered  the  courtyard  within. 

The  Sefiora  Barreda  alighted  first,  while  Pedro 
and  the  other  servants  hovered  around  the  carriage, 
voluble  in  their  exclamations  ol  delight  and  admi- 
ration over  the  travelers. 

Something  in  the  half-frightened,  half-imploring 
expression  upon  Lucita's  face,  as  she  stepped  from 
the  carriage  and  into  her  arms,  reminded  the  senora 
of  the  look  with  which  Vicente  had  once  met  her 
on  the  threshold  of  El  Dorado,  almost  twenty  years 
before.  Hand  in  hand  with  his  bride  he  had  come 
toward  his  mother,  and  she  remembered  how  her 
heart  had  frozen  against  them  both,  and  with  pain 
recalled  the  hurt  quiver  of  her  boy's  lips  as  he  had 
led  his  wife  past  her  and  into  the  house. 

She  felt  that  she  must,  for  her  son's  sake,  bring 
a  smile  to  the  fair,  awestruck  face. 

"  Luz,  darling,"  she  whispered,  "only  love  me, 
as  your  papa  loved  his  mother,  and  I  promise  that 
you  shall  be  happy  in  my  home,  which  is  yours 
also." 

There  was  not  much  left  of  the  day  when  the 
travelers  had  refreshed  themselves  after  the  long 
journey,  and  Ninfa  and  Luz  were  far  too  weary  to 
lie  awake  after  going  to  bed  that  night. 


HOMING    TREASURES  283 

On  the  homeward  way  Ninfa  had  pleaded  with 
her  grandmother  to  be  allowed  to  share  her  room 
with  Luz,  but  had  been  firmly  refused.  With  all 
the  unused  rooms  in  the  great  house,  the  sefiora 
was  determined  that  each  girl  should  have  a  room 
especially  adapted  to  her  complexion  and  tastes. 

During  the  weeks  of  waiting  for  the  home- 
coming, the  grandmother  had  entertained  herself 
in  the  lonely  hours  with  planning  these  apartments 
for  the  reception  of  the  twins.  Therefore  Ninfa's 
bedroom  had  been  renovated  from  ceiling  to  floor. 
There  was  now  a  pink  bloom  upon  the  walls,  and 
pink  rosebuds  blushed  on  drapery  and  ribbons, 
while  new  white  rugs  replaced  the  old  ones. 

Though  on  being  introduced  into  this  dainty 
bower  Ninfa  stoutly  declared  that  the  pink  and 
white  room  suited  the  gray-eyed  Luz  even  better 
than  it  did  herself,  she  had  to  agree  with  the  grand- 
mother that  the  blue  room  next  was  an  even  fairer 
setting  for  her  sister. 

Luz  was  awakened  the  next  morning  by  Maria's 
hand  laid  gently  upon  her  arm.  The  muslin 
curtains  of  her  little  brass  bedstead  had  been  put 
back,  and  Maria's  smiling  face  appeared  between. 

"It  is  nine  o'clock,  Sefiorita  Luz,"  was  the 
woman's  greeting,  "  and  here  is  your  coffee.  I 
have  just  carried  the  Sefiorita  Ninfa  hers,  and  she 
wishes  to  know  if  you  are  awake." 

A  small  china  tray  containing  a  smoking  cup  of 


284  THE    SENORA's    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

black  coffee  and  a  roll  stood  on  a  table  at  the  bed- 
side, and  Luz  was  roused  to  open-eyed  wonder  at 
these  luxurious  proceedings.  She  found  a  pretty 
dressing-sacque  of  Ninfa's  thrown  across  the  foot 
of  the  bed,  and  with  Maria's  assistance  she  was 
soon  enjoying  its  warmth  about  her  shivering 
shoulders,  while  the  steaming  coffee  finished  the 
task  of  thoroughly  awakening  her.  Presently  Ninfa 
came  running  in  with  her  high-heeled  slippers 
clacking  noisily  on  the  tiled  floor.  They  dressed 
at  leisure,  and  it  was  not  until  breakfast,  at  twelve 
o'clock,  that  they  met  their  grandmother. 

The  rest  of  the  day  was  filled  with  busy  talk,  in 
the  corridor,  of  the  many  dresses  to  be  made  for 
Luz,  of  the  new  piano  to  be  bought  for  Ninfa,  of 
the  books  that  the  more  learned  little  granddaughter 
might  need,  of  poor  Justo's  death,  of  plans  for 
bringing  Teresa  and  Pepito  to  the  South,  where  the 
mother  might  end  her  days  and  the  little  son  grow 
to  manhood  among  their  own  people. 

Chocolate  and  small  cakes  were  served  beside 
the  couch  where  the  senora  rested  during  the  after- 
noon, and  when  the  glowing  sunshine  had  departed, 
leaving  the  corridors  dim  and  chill,  the  dinner  hour 
arrived.  The  evening  was  passed  quietly,  with  no 
callers  from  the  outside  world. 

In  this  same  serene  fashion  several  days  were 
spent  in  the  Casa  Barreda.  By  and  by,  perhaps, 
there  would  be  invitations  issued  to  a  few  select 


HOMING    TREASURES  28$ 

friends,  who  would  gladly  come  to  be  introduced 
to  the  new  granddaughter,  for  Ninfa  and  Luz  were 
now  of  an  age  to  see  something  of  the  world. 

Yet  in  planning  for  the  coming  winter,  in  the 
days  before  her  visit  to  Saltillo,  the  senora  had 
found  herself  shrinking  more  and  more  from  the 
idea  of  an  active  society  life.  The  temperate  years 
of  the  past  had  preserved  the  robustness  of  her 
constitution,  so  that  now,  at  the  age  of  sixty,  she 
had  much  of  the  strength  and  fire  of  forty,  yet  she 
shrank,  not  unnaturally,  from  re-entering  the  world 
with  the  responsibility  upon  her  of  two  young 
women  who  could  not  fail  to  be  attractive. 

Of  all  the  household  Maria,  the  maid,  was  the 
first  to  deplore  the  sober  state  of  things  promised 
by  the  sefiora's  delay  in  inviting  the  first  guests  of 
the  season.  It  was  a  great  pity,  she  grumbled  to 
herself,  that  her  young  ladies  should  have  to  be 
caged  during  the  whole  season  of  balls  and  of 
theatre-going,  and  then  perhaps  be  whisked  off 
to  be  buried  in  the  dust  of  the  hacienda. 

How  would  the  sefiora  ever  find  husbands  for 
the  sefioritas,  or  rather,  how  would  the  sefiors  of 
Guadalajara  ever  hear  of  the  merry  Ninfa  and  the 
gentle  Luz,  who  neither  rode  nor  walked  abroad, 
and  who  went  to  mass  no  more,  being  always 
chained  to  an  old  lady's  arm-chair?  Maria,  being 
a  young  Mexican  woman  herself,  might  have 
known  better. 


VIII 

THE  first  Sunday  at  home  came  and  passed 
with  no  mention  of  church-going  by  any 
one.  Since  that  moment  of  repression  in  the  parlor 
of  Madero  Institute,  Ninfa  had  not  seemed  to  find 
a  suitable  occasion  for  the  promised  explanation  to 
her  grandmother,  and  her  red  lips  had  been  sealed 
upon  the  subject,  even  with  Luz.  It  had  usually 
been  Ninfa  who  had  introduced  their  little  argu- 
ments and  discussions,  and  now  that  they  slept 
apart,  there  was  not  given  them  the  same  oppor- 
tunity for  heart  confidences.  Luz  had  always 
been  somewhat  in  subjection  to  Ninfa's  swiftly 
varying  moods,  and  was  unwilling  now  to  force 
her  sister's  confidence,  though  she  was  ready 
to  receive  it  whenever  Ninfa  should  offer  it. 

On  her  own  part  a  small  ache  in  her  heart  was 
fast  growing  into  a  pain.  She  had  no  desire  to 
discuss  questions  of  conscience  or  religion  with  her 
grandmother,  for  at  the  best  of  times  she  shrank 
from  speaking  of  her  most  sacred  thoughts,  yet  she 
found  herself  missing  something  now  in  the  life  of 
ease  opening  before  her.  Perhaps  this  lack  came 
in  part  from  the  actual  emptiness  of  what  had  been 
busy  and  studious  hours  for  her.  It  had  been  im- 
286 


HOMING    TREASURES  287 

possible  to  study  during  the  first  week  at  home. 
Yet  the  real  ache  came  from  the  knowledge  of  the 
entire  misunderstanding  of  herself  by  those  asso- 
ciated with  her  in  this  new  home. 

She  knew  that  there  must  come  a  time  of  reck- 
oning when  the  sefiora  would  learn  that  no  measures, 
gentle  or  otherwise,  could  bring  her  granddaughters 
to  think  as  she  did  about  certain  matters.  Luz 
began  to  long  feverishly  for  this  time  to  come,  and 
she  had  hoped  much  from  this  first  Sunday.  It 
would  be  easy  to  say  : 

"  No,  mama,  you  must  not  ask  us  to  go  to  mass 
with  you.  You  know  I  told  you  that  I  could  not 
believe  as  you  do  about  some  things.  I  am  a 
Protestant,  and  I  would  like  to  go  to  the  Protestant 
cidto  L  to-day." 

She  was  sure  that  Ninfa  would  have  the  courage 
to  join  in  then  and  add  her  pleadings  to  her  own, 
for  Ninfa  knew  the  house  where  one  of  the  cultos 
was  held  each  Sunday,  and  they  had  long  ago 
talked  together  of  asking  the  little  fair  sefiora  to 
take  them  into  her  class  some  day.  But  no  occa- 
sion was  given  Luz  to  make  her  speech  to  her 
grandmother. 

The  morning  passed  as  every  other  had  passed, 
except  that  Luz  rose  an  hour  earlier  than  usual, 
and  was  already  dressed  when  Ninfa  ran  in,  accord- 
ing to  custom,  to  chat  over  their  coffee  cups.      Luz 

1  Service. 


288      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

had  remarked  that  it  was  Sunday,  and  Ninfa  had 
replied  with  a  flush  upon  her  cheeks  that  she  knew 
it,  and  that  she  was  not  altogether  a  coward,  for 
she  would  be  brave  very  soon,  if  only  Luz  would 
not  speak  a  word  to  her  about  it. 

The  sefiora  was  as  affectionate  as  usual  at  the 
breakfast  hour  when  it  was  much  too  late  to  speak 
with  her  about  the  Protestant  service.  Luz  wished 
now  that  she  had  done  so  the  night  before,  when 
her  grandmother  had  been  in  a  particularly  happy 
frame  of  mind  over  the  completion  of  a  blue  silk 
frock  for  Luz;  but  Sunday  had  come,  after  all, 
before  she  was  well  aware  of  its  approach,  and 
nothing  had  been  said. 

"Why  should  I  send  them  away  from  me,  when 
I  have  been  so  long  without  them?  "  the  sefiora  had 
asked  herself,  as  she  lay  in  bed,  late  into  the  fore- 
noon, with  a  dull  and  aching  head.  "  No,  no  ! 
mass  can  wait  till  they  have  become  accustomed  to 
being  at  home  again.  I  will  not  force  Luz  to  any- 
thing. Years  have  taught  me  that  letting-alone  is 
a  very  powerful  instrument  in  the  right  hands." 

The  girls  were  not  long  in  learning  that  a  severe 
headache  had  kept  their  grandmother  from  attend- 
ing early  or  later  mass,  that  morning,  while  she  in 
her  turn  expressed  great  gratification  on  hearing 
that  they  had  spent  the  morning  hours  in  reading. 

During  the  afternoon  that  followed,  callers 
dropped   in    to  congratulate  the  sefiora  on  her  re- 


HOMING    TREASURES  289 

turn  from  Saltillo  and  to  be  introduced  to  the  new 
granddaughter. 

A  bright-eyed  old  lady,  the  maiden  sister  of  the 
lawyer  Cardenas,  especially  interested  Luz.  She 
had  full  opportunity  for  studying  the  comfortable 
looking  figure  and  smiling  face,  whose  gaze  was 
constantly  fixed  upon  Ninfa,  sitting  demurely  at  her 
grandmother's  side. 

"She  does  not  even  see  me,"  thought  Luz,  "for 
she  has  eyes  only  for  Ninfa.  If  Anselmo  be  only 
as  good-tempered  as  his  aunt  seems  to  be  I  am 
sure  I  shall  like  him.  How  sweet  Ninfa  looks  in 
her  red  velvet  jacket  !  If  Anselmo  could  see  her 
now !" 

When  all  the  visitors  were  gone  and  dinner  was 
over,  the  sefiora  again  led  the  way  to  the  sala. 

"Come,  girls,"  she  said  pleasantly.  "You  have 
had  a  long  idle  day  together,  except  for  your  read- 
ing of  the  early  morning.  Sit  one  on  each  side  of 
me,  here  on  the  sofa,  and  let  me  hear  what  you 
read.  Afterward  Luz  will  read  aloud  to  us  and 
Ninfa  will  sing  before  we  retire.  My  headache 
still  lingers,  my  children,  and  you  must  soothe  and 
amuse  me."  The  senora's  face  was  indeed  pale, 
and  she  pressed  her  forehead  with   her  open  palm. 

"No,  first  you  shall  read  to  me,  Lucita,"  she 
added  changing  her  mind  as  her  eye  fell  upon  a 
large  pamphlet  on  a  table.  "  I  have  something 
here  that  will  interest  you   both.      Bring  me  the 


29O  THE    SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

paper-covered  book  from  the  table,  Ninfa.  Yes, 
that  is  it,  ' La  Madre  de  Dios  en  Mejico.' l 

"  You  see  the  illustrations,  children.  They  are 
very  good,  done  in  bright  colors,  and  representing 
many  of  the  phases  of  the  blessed  Mary.  I  am 
sorry  I  have  not  all  of  the  book.  This  much  was 
lent  me  by  Dona  Marguerita  Cardenas.  Read,  Luz, 
beginning  at  the  introduction.  That  seems  to  be 
particularly  appropriate." 

Luz  took  the  pamphlet  into  her  hands  and 
glanced  down  the  first  page.  Then  she  looked  up 
to  find  her  grandmother  leaning  her  head  against 
the  back  of  the  sofa  with  her  eyes  closed.  Ninfa 
gave  Luz  an  encouraging  nod  and  formed  the  word 
"read,"  with  her  lips,  while  her  eyes  sparkled  in 
the  candle-light. 

"I  am  waiting,  Luz,"  the  senora  exclaimed.  "Is 
there  not  enough  light  to  read  by  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  mama,  and  I  am  ready  to  begin  now." 

Then  she  read  : 

"  Much  more  than  a  century  ago,  one  of  the 
most  enthusiastic  panegyrists  of  the  marvelous  im- 
age of  the  most  Holy  Virgin  of  Guadalupe,  referring 
to  the  numberless  demonstrations  of  especial  predi- 
lection which  Divine  Providence  has  made  toward 
Mexico,  said  the  following  :  '  These  are  so  many 
and  so  great  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  number 
them  by  the  dozens,  because  the  Holy,  Miraculous 

1  "The  Mother  of  God  in  Mexico,"  by  Antonio  Maria  de  Padua. 


HOMING    TREASURES  29 1 

images  with  which  God  in  his  inexhaustible  good- 
ness has  seen  fit  to  favor  us,  are  in  such  multitudes 
that  even  those  who  possess  them  are  prone  to 
ignore  them  :  and  I  believe  that  it  would  not  be 
possible  to  make  a  more  acceptable  offering  to  our 
country  than  to  write  the  history  of  the  Images 
which  Mexico  owes  to  God,  and  of  the  benefits 
which  she  has  received  from  them  ;  material,  in  my 
judgment,  so  copious  that  bulky  volumes  would  not 
suffice  to  contain  them,  so  great  has  been  the  mercy 
with  which  his  Divine  Majesty  has  been  willing  to 
look  upon  us,  giving  us  in  them  [the  Images]  a 
shield  against  all  classes  of  evils  and  pestilence,  and 
remedy  and  relief  for  all  our  necessities  and  miseries 
and  afflictions.' 

"  From  the  remote  epoch  in  which  the  above 
was  uttered,  no  one,  so  far  as  we  know,  has  under- 
taken the  formation  of  the  history  which  to-day  we 
pretend  to  sketch  with  as  great  piety  and  good 
faith  as  want  of  merits  and  qualities  for  so  colossal 
an  enterprise  :  but  not  for  this  shall  we  abandon 
our  purpose  ;  we  do  not  write  for  the  wise,  nor  for 
the  philosophic,  whose  most  sacred  sentiments  of 
the  soul  are  asleep  or  dead  ;  we  write  for  those  who, 
firm  in  the  religion  of  our  ancestors,  live  in  the 
boundless  world  of  faith,  and  who  pure  of  soul  and 
simple  of  heart,  seek  in  virtue  the  path  which  is  to 
lead  us  to  eternal  salvation,  and  who  see  in  the 
powerful  inroads  of  modern  ideals,  a  manifest  ten- 
dency to  make  humanity  more  sordid,  depriving  it 
of  the  only  real  consolation  in  adversity,  faith  in  the 
majestic  religion  of  the  Divine  Martyr  of  GolgotJia. 

"In  Mexico  more  than  in  any  other " 


292  THE    SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"  There  !  "  the  senora  exclaimed  restlessly,  "  that 
is  enough  for  now.  The  reading  makes  me  nerv- 
ous.     How  do  you  like  it,  Luz?" 

"  What  he  says  about  images  is  all  false,  I  am  sure, 
mama"  was  the  brave  reply  ;  "  and  it  is  belief  in 
them  that  deprives  men  of  '  the  only  real  consola- 
tion in  adversity,  faith  in  the  majestic  religion  of  the 
Divine  Martyr  of  Golgotha,'  who  was  Jesus  Christ." 

"  Those  last  words  are  like  my  verse,  '  Believe  on 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be  saved,'" 
Ninfa  added  with  a  beating  heart.  "The  words 
are  different,  but  they  mean  the  same  thing,  don't 
you  think  so,  mama?" 

Thereupon,  the  senora  opened  her  eyes  and 
desired  to  know  what  Ninfa  meant  by  her  "  verse," 
and  on  learning  that  the  Bible  had  supplied  the 
text,  she  sat  up  again,  straight  enough  now,  and 
seemed  to  forget  all  about  her  headache. 

"Was  it  the  Santa  Biblia,  then,  that  you  were 
reading  this  morning?  "  she  asked,  turning  flashing 
eyes  upon  Luz,  and  extending  her  arm,  as  if  to 
push  the  girl  from  her.  "  Have  you  dared  to  read 
that  book,  when  we  are  solemnly  warned  against 
looking  within  its  covers?  Go,"  she  commanded, 
without  allowing  Luz  to  reply,  "bring  me  the  book 
instantly."  Luz  rose  to  obey,  but  the  senora 
grasped  her  blue  silk  skirt  and  forced  her  to  pause. 

"I  remember  that  you  are  my  granddaughter," 
she  said  with  stern  calmness,  "and  I  knew  that  you 


HOMING    TREASURES  293 

were  a  Protestant.  I  did  not  believe,  however,  that 
you  would  dare  to  read  the  Bible  in  my  house,  and 
I  assure  you  that  you  have  read  it  now  for  the  last 
time.  The  time  has  come  to  pull  out  this  poison- 
ous fang  by  the  roots.  I  will  have  none  of  it  in 
my  house.      Go,  bring  the  book." 

"Mama,  shall  I  bring  mine  too?  I  have  one, 
and  I  shall  not  let  Luz  be  scolded  when  I  have 
done  all  that  she  has  done,"  Ninfa  exclaimed,  with 
some  indignation.  "Yes,  I  bought  one  at  the 
institute  with  my  own  money,  and  if  I  bring  it  to 
you,  you  must  promise  not  to  harm  it." 

"Who  gave  you  the  money,  wretched  child?" 
the  sefiora  demanded.  "Was  it  not  my  money, 
and  am  I  not  forever  disgraced  by  such  trickery  ? 
Go  after  your  sister  and  bring  me  all  the  Bibles  in 
your  possession." 

When  the  twins  returned  they  found  their  grand- 
mother erect  and  alert,  and  with  the  stern  eyes  of 
a  relentless  judge.  "  Lay  the  books  on  the  table 
there,"  she  said  impressively.  "Are  you  sure  that 
you  have  brought  them  all  ?  " 

"We  have  but  one  Bible  apiece,  mama"  Luz 
answered  sadly. 

"That  is  well.  Now  kneel,  both  of  you,  here 
on  the  rug  and  ask  my  pardon  for  committing  this 
error.  Perhaps  when  you  have  humbled  yourselves 
before  me,  the  blessed  Virgin  will  hear  your  prayers 
and  grant  you  absolution  after  penance." 


294  THE    SENORA S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

To  the  horror  of  Luz,  Ninfa  fell  upon  her  knees 
as  commanded.  Her  whispered  words  to  her  sister 
as  they  had  hurriedly  caught  up  their  Bibles  had 
been  so  like  the  old,  daring  Ninfa,  that  Luz  had 
hoped  better  things  of  her  than  this  quick  yielding 
to  the  grandmother's  unreasonable  demand. 

"It  is  all  right,  Luz,"  Ninfa  had  whispered.  "It 
had  to  come,  you  know,  and  it  will  soon  be  over. 
I  am  not  afraid  now,  are  you  ?  " 

Yet  now  Ninfa  was  on  her  knees  to  ask  pardon 
for  having  done  no  wrong  thing  at  all.  Would  she 
be  kneeling  before  the  marble  image  of  Mary  next? 

The  sefiora's  eyes  were  fixed  on  Ninfa,  and  she 
did  not  notice  that  Luz  remained  standing.  The 
pain  seemed  to  have  returned  to  her  head,  and 
there  was  a  confused  expression  upon  her  face. 
Perhaps  she  was  willing  to  have  to  do  first  with  the 
girl  whose  yielding  nature  was  better  known  to  her. 

"Mama,  I  have  often  gotten  down  on  my  knees 
before  you,  when  I  have  been  naughty,  haven't  I?" 
Ninfa  said  coaxingly,  clasping  her  hands  on  the 
lady's  lap.  "  Don't  you  remember  how  you  used 
to  make  me  do  it,  when  I  had  been  saucy  or  cross, 
when  I  was  a  little  bit  of  a  girl  at  El  Dorado  ?  Luz 
never  learned  to  do  so,  you  know,  because  we  lost 
her.  That  is  why  she  does  not  kneel  down  now. 
Come,  Luz,  get  down  here  by  me,  and  I  will  tell 
mama  all  about  it." 

The  sefiora  laid  her  right  hand  upon  the  dark 


HOMING    TREASURES  295 

head  of  her  most  dearly  loved  granddaughter  and 
idly  wondered  to  feel  it  tremble  constantly  as  she 
held  it  there. 

Luz  kneeled  by  Ninfa,  having  no  idea  of  what 
was  to  follow.  She  had  never  understood  this  little 
sister,  she  thought. 

"  We  have  not  been  really  naughty  this  time, 
mama"  Ninfa  went  on.  "At  least,  Luz  has  not. 
I  have  been  a  little  cowardly,  afraid  to  tell  you 
about  my  Bible,  but  I  know  Luz  was  not  afraid. 
No,  mama,  let  me  talk  first ;  but  may  we  sit  on  the 
little  footstools  now?  It  always  makes  me  giddy 
to  kneel  on  the  floor,  you  know,  even  at  mass." 

As  the  grandmother  made  no  objection  to  this 
change  of  position,  the  girls  drew  the  footstools 
close  to  the  senora's  knees  and  sat  down. 

"Now  we  are  more  comfortable,"  Ninfa  said 
softly,  grasping  one  of  her  grandmother's  hands. 
"  How  cold  your  hand  is,  mama,  and  how  it  trem- 
bles !     Are  you  ill?" 

"  No,  no,  child,  go  on  with  what  you  were  say- 
ing. I  do  not  think  you  have  asked  my  pardon 
yet,"  and  the  sefiora  tried  in  vain  to  make  her 
voice  stern,  yet  there  was  no  smile  upon  her  lips. 
She  extended  her  other  hand  to  Luz,  saying  with  a 
troubled  break  in  her  voice :  "  I  love  you  both, 
my  children,  but  I  do  not  wish  to  make  a  mistake. 
You  must  submit  to  my  will  where  you  are  too 
inexperienced  to  choose  for  yourselves." 


296  THE    SENORA'S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

"But  we  have  already  chosen,  mama"  Ninfa 
replied,  pressing  her  warm  lips  upon  the  chill  old 
hand  in  hers.  "  Luz  and  I  read  the  Bible  because 
it  is  God's  book,  and  it  tells  us  that  he  loves  us  and 
will  save  us  for  Jesus'  sake." 

"  What  do  you  say?"  the  senora  stammered. 
"You  still  speak  of  reading  the  Bible?  Ninfa,  my 
child,  get  up — go  away — do  anything  but  tell  me 
that  you  are  really  like  Luz  and  the  gringas  with 
whom  I  talked  in  Saltillo.  I  could  not  bear  that, 
Ninfa." 

"  But  I  must  tell  you,  mama.  I  am  like  them, 
because  I  do  believe  what  they  believe.  It  is  not 
so  very  different  from  what  you  think,  dearest 
mama,  if  you  will  only  listen.  Oh,  do  not  look  at 
me  like  that! " 

"  Protestantc  /"  the  senora  hissed  between  her 
teeth,  dropping  the  hands  of  her  granddaughters 
and  flinging  her  own  above  her  head.  "  Justo  was 
right.  I  sent  my  child  into  danger  and  I  have  lost 
her  more  certainly  than  I  lost  her  sister  seventeen 
years  ago. 

"  No  years  will  ever  give  my  daughters  back  to 
me  now,"  she  wailed  hysterically,  while  the  girls 
kept  a  startled  silence.  "Ah,  if  Justo  were  here, 
he  would  know  how  to  comfort  me.  I  have  no 
longer  a  desire  to  live,  for  I  am  alone  in  the  world 
— the  world  that  was  to  grow  young  and  beautiful 
for  me  with  my  children."      Her  eyelids  drooped, 


HOMING    TREASURES  297 

her  gray  head  fell  over  upon  her  shoulder,  and  her 
lips  ceased  their  lament 

"Luz,  we  have  killed  our  grandmother,"  Ninfa 
cried  passionately,  clinging  to  her  sister  and  shak- 
ing from  head  to  foot. 

"  Perhaps  she  has  only  fainted,  Ninfa  ;  call  Pedro 
and  the  others  and  we  will  lay  her  down.  Quick, 
Ninfa!" 

"The  good  God  would  not  let  us  kill  her,  would 
he,  Luz?"  Ninfa  asked  a  little  later,  when  the 
servants  had  exhausted  all  their  resources  and  the 
sefiora  was  still  unconscious. 

"I  do  not  know,  Ninfa,"  was  the  troubled  reply; 
"when  the  doctor  comes  he  maybe  able  to  do 
something  more.  I  do  not  believe  that  she  is  dead 
though,  because  every  now  and  then  I  can  feel 
something  like  a  little  heart-beat." 

"  Do  you  think  the  Lord's  hand  is  in  this,  Luz?" 
Ninfa  whispered,  a  moment  or  two  afterward. 
"  The  sefiorita  said  that  his  hand  rules  the  world. 
If  I  thought  that  he  has  made  mama  like  this  I 
could  bear  it,  but  I  never  could  live  a  minute  if  I 
thought  I  had  killed  mama." 

"  I  believe  like  the  sefiorita,  Ninfa,"  Luz  an- 
swered softly,  through  her  tears.  "  I  think  God 
has  done  it,  for  we  were  only  trying  to  do  what  was 
right,  and  he  could  never  punish  us  so  dreadfully." 


IX 


WHEN  the  Sefiora  Barreda  recovered  con- 
sciousness, after  long  hours  of  apparently 
deathlike  sleep,  she  opened  her  eyes  upon  the 
anxious  faces  of  her  granddaughters.  The  physician 
was  standing  by  the  lamp  examining  the  tiny  ther- 
mometer in  his  hand,  and  did  not  see  the  slow  smile 
relaxing  the  rigid  features  of  the  gray  old  face. 

"Ah,  cJiulitas,  what  has  happened?"  the  grand- 
mother asked  feebly.  "Is  it  already  morning,  and 
have  I  overslept  myself?  Surely  something  was 
wrong.  I  cannot  remember  clearly  what  it  was, 
for  my  head  is  heavy.  Ah,  yes,  I  know,"  and  she 
closed  her  eyes,  while  her  lips  trembled  piteously. 

The  doctor  had  stepped  quickly  to  the  bedside 
on  hearing  the  sick  woman's  voice,  and  remained 
watching  her  face,  just  out  of  her  sight. 

"  Speak  to  her,"  he  whispered  to  Luz. 

" Mama,  are  you  better?"  the  girl  asked,  stoop- 
ing to  smooth  away  a  tumbled  wave  of  the  gray 
hair  from  her  grandmother's  forehead. 

"  I    am    well,   of  course,   little    one,   but   I    feel 
strangely  tired.      Call   Maria,   Lucita,   that   I   may 
rise  and  dress.      Hey !  what  is  the  matter  with  my 
leg  and  arm?     Help  me  up,  Ninfa." 
298 


HOMING    TREASURES  299 

"Oh,  what  is  it,  Dr.  Benitez?"  Ninfa  cried, 
terror-stricken,  turning  to  the  doctor  as  her  grand- 
mother, after  making  ineffectual  efforts  to  rise  from 
her  pillow,  sank  back  motionless  upon  the  bed. 

"Paralysis,  my  child,"  the  physician  replied. 
"Your  grandmother  has  received  a  stroke,  and 
has  no  use  of  her  right  limbs.  I  feared  it  as  soon 
as  I  saw  her.  You  may  thank  God  and  the  saints 
that  she  has  retained  her  speech  and  reason." 

"  Why  are  you  here,  sefior ;  and  who  are  you  to 
be  putting  yourself  thus  into  a  lady's  room?  "  the 
senora  asked  suddenly,  catching  sight  of  the  doctor, 
who  was  a  stranger,  and  speaking  with  something 
of  her  old  energy  of  tone. 

"You  have  been  ill  for  a  few  hours,  madame," 
Doctor  Benitez  replied  courteously,  coming  for- 
ward. "  Pedro  thought  a  doctor  might  help  you, 
so  he  sent  for  me  to  come.  Now  that  you  are 
yourself  again  you  will  permit  me  to  take  my 
leave." 

"Certainly,  doctor;  I  would  not  think  of  de- 
taining you  from  your  duties.  But  it  is  strange 
that  I  should  be  ill,  for  I  suffer  no  pain." 

With  some  difficulty  the  physician  succeeded  in 
persuading  her  that  she  must  resign  herself  to 
several  days  of  rest  in  bed  ;  then  he  left  Ninfa  to 
watch  over  the  sick  bed,  and  beckoned  Luz  to  ac- 
company him  out  of  the  room.  They  stood  in  the 
corridor,  which  was  dark,  except  for  the  faint  illu- 


300  THE    SENORA S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

mination  cast  upward  by  the  lighted  lamp  swung 
in  the  court  below.  The  stars  were  brilliant  over- 
head in  the  square  of  dark  sky  above,  and  the 
night  air  was  cold  and  penetrating. 

"  I  will  send  a  nurse  to  care  for  the  sefiora,"  the 
doctor  said  to  Luz  in  business-like  tones.  "Yes, 
of  course,  it  is  natural  that  you  should  wish  to  do 
all  that  she  will  need,  but  it  will  be  quite  impossible, 
Senorita  Barreda.  You  see  for  yourself  that  she  is 
helpless  now,  and  she  will  require  the  constant  at- 
tention of  a  strong  woman.  Do  not  doubt,  how- 
ever, that  you  and  your  sister  will  be  indispensable 
to  her  as  long  as  she  lives." 

"Will  she  live  and  be  like  this?"  Luz  asked 
tremulously. 

"She  may  live  ten  years,  or  she  may  quickly 
pass  away  under  a  second  stroke,"  was  the  sor- 
rowful reply ;  then,  as  Luz  clasping  her  hands  ut- 
tered a  gasp  of  distress,  he  hastily  changed  his  tone. 
'■  I  am  glad  that  she  has  grandchildren  who  owe 
her  much.  Your  grandmother  must  be  well 
nourished,  senorita,"  he  continued  briskly.  "Have 
the  cook  prepare  beef  broth,  the  first  thing  in  the 
morning.  I  will  come  again  by  eight  o'clock. 
Meantime,  watch  the  lady  carefully  for  the  rest  of  the 
night,  and  be  as  soothing  as  possible.  I  think  she 
will  sleep.  Send  that  excitable  midget  to  bed  right 
away,  and  take  her  place  at  the  bedside.  You  are 
cool  and  quiet,  but  to-morrow  you  also  must  rest." 


HOMING    TREASURES  301 

The  physician's  orders  were  faithfully  carried 
out.  With  the  daylight  a  pleasant-looking  Mexican 
woman  arrived  to  relieve  the  inexperienced  girls  of 
their  responsibility,  and  little  by  little  the  wonted 
order  returned  to  the  house. 

Day  after  day  the  sefiora  lay  almost  motionless 
upon  her  bed,  much  of  the  time  drowsing  or  asleep. 
When  awake  she  was  always  restless  unless  one  or 
both  of  the  girls  were  within  sight.  Juana,  the 
nurse,  relieved  them  of  the  responsibility  of  nurs- 
ing* yet  the  sick  lady's  happiest  moments  were 
passed  with  a  granddaughter  on  each  side  of  her 
couch.  She  relished  their  girlish  chatter,  and  was 
always  ready  to  hear  Ninfa  sing.  Sometimes  the 
girls  sang  together  the  hymns  that  had  been  favor- 
ites at  the  school,  and  the  sefiora  was  often  soothed 
to  sleep  by  the  sweetness  of  their  blended  voices. 

At  first  Guadalupe  and  Maria  and  Pedro  man- 
aged the  household  affairs  between  them,  referring 
instinctively  to  Luz  rather  than  to  Ninfa  for  direc- 
tions concerning  such  important  questions  as  the 
kind  of  soup  to  be  served  for  dinner,  and  whether 
the  rice  was  to  be  cooked  with  tomatoes  or  with 
cinnamon  and  milk.  When  the  cake  woman  rattled 
the  chain  at  the  corridor  door,  it  was  Luz  who  was 
summoned  to  select  the  delicate  sweets  from  the 
huge  shallow  basket  borne  on  the  woman's  head. 
And  so  it  was  with  the  various  points  of  the  house- 
hold economy.      Little  by  little  it  came  to  be  un- 


302      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

derstood  that  the  tall,  fair  sister  who  seemed  two 
years  older  than  little  Ninfa,  was  to  step  about  the 
house  in  her  grandmother's  shoes,  so  to  speak. 
Luz  carried  the  purse  for  the  daily  expenses  of  the 
family,  and  every  morning  it  became  her  custom 
to  give  Guadalupe  the  order  for  the  day's  purchases 
of  meat,  vegetables,  and  fruit  In  the  evening  she 
was  ready  "  to  make  the  account"  *  with  the  servant 
of  money  expended  during  the  day,  and  to  men- 
tion any  change  desired  in  the  quantity  of  bread 
bought  of  the  baker  when  he  should  come  around 
with  his  basket  at  an  early  hour  the  next  day.  The 
mysterious  way  in  which  money  vanished  in  order- 
ing such  a  household  was  a  cause  of  much  discom- 
fort to  Luz,  who  had  long  considered  the  expend- 
iture of  even  so  much  as  two  reales2  a  day,  a 
luxury  indulged  in  only  by  the  wealthy.  Guada- 
lupe seemed  very  unreasonable  in  her  demands  for 
one  real  for  fruit  "for  the  Senorita  Ninfa,  who 
could  not  live  without  her  oranges  and  guavas," 
another  for  "rosbif"*  perhaps,  or  fish,  a  handful  of 
centavos  for  vegetables,  another  handful  for  charcoal, 
a  few  cents  for  sugar,  and  salt,  and  coffee  or  choco- 
late, while  besides  these  daily  expenses  there  were 
the  baker,  the  aguador*  who  brought  his  great  red 
jars  dripping  from  the  fountain  in  the  plaza  several 
times  a  day,  the  cake  woman,  and  a  dozen  others 

1  Hacer  la  cuenta.         2  Twenty-five  cents.         3  Roast  beef. 
4  Water-carrier. 


HOMING    TREASURES  3O3 

who  had  claims  upon  the  Barreda  purse.  The 
beggars  too,  were  a  trial  to  the  young  house- 
keeper. 

"  For  the  love  of  God,  sefiorita,"  they  would 
plead,  arriving  at  the  corridor  gates  in  companies 
of  twos  and  threes.  "The  dear  lady,  your  mama, 
never  refused  us.  Give  us  an  alms  for  the  sake  of 
the  most  holy  Virgin.  She  will  bless  you  and  save 
you." 

It  was  hard  to  turn  them  away  empty-handed, 
since,  as  was  very  true,  the  lady  of  the  house  had 
never  refused  at  least  a  centavo  to  the  least  deserv- 
ing of  them  all.  Luz  felt  herself  to  be  weak  in 
giving  to  some  who  were  far  more  able-bodied 
than  Don  Luis  or  his  wife  had  ever  been,  but  she 
did  not  dare  to  raise  the  storm  of  reproaches  at  her 
own  door  which  would  have  followed  such  a  disre- 
gard of  the  customs  of  the  house.  She  knew  bet- 
ter than  the  sefiora  could  ever  have  known,  that 
the  "silent  poor"  are  those  oftenest  needing  aid, 
and  she  had  not  yet  forgotten  the  many  times 
when  there  had  been  no  money  in  her  home  in 
Saltillo  for  buying  even  a  bit  of  cheese  to  be  eaten 
with  the  corn  cakes,  while  the  bitter,  black  coffee 
was  often  swallowed  without  a  drop  of  milk  or 
sweetening.  Must  one  give  to  these  critical,  carp- 
ing idlers,  centavos  "  to  shorten  her  days  in  purga- 
tory" and  "to  save  her  soul"?  Was  this  the 
meaning  of  charity? 


304  THE   SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

For  the  hungry  and  sick  there  was  always  food 
in  the  Barreda  kitchen,  and  Luz  often  gave  it  with 
her  own  hands,  receiving  blessings  and  adoration 
in  return.  Sometimes  a  poor  feeble-minded  crea- 
ture, " amado  de  Dios"x  as  such  a  one  is  called, 
would  snatch  her  hand  and  cover  it  with  kisses 
as  she  bent  to  fill  the  ragged  hat  or  apron  with 
bread,  while  inarticulate  recommendations  to  the 
mercy  of  " Nuestra  Senora"  2  issued  from  stammer- 
ing lips. 

The  servants,  in  truth,  stood  somewhat  in  awe  of 
the  girl  who,  though  a  Protestant,  proved  herself 
quite  capable  of  filling  the  sefiora's  place,  and 
though  there  were  murmurings  in  private  against 
the  plague  spot  introduced  into  the  family,  which 
was  worse  by  far  than  the  blemish  upon  the  name 
caused  by  Vicente's  marriage  with  a  ra?icherita} 
they  did  not  dare  to  show  to  Luz  or  Ninfa  any 
signs  of  their  disapproval. 

An  event  during  the  second  week  succeeding 
the  sefiora's  attack,  was  a  visit  from  the  advocate, 
Anselmo  Cardenas,  Senior.  In  the  capacity  of 
family  lawyer  he  called  to  put  himself,  his  house, 
and  all  his  possessions  at  the  disposal  of  the  family 
of  his  old  friend.  Luz  learned  from  him  something 
definite  concerning  her  grandmother's  resources 
and  plans  of  expenditure,  and  the  brown  eyes  of 
the  lawyer  sobered  with  feeling  for  this  girl,  who  was 

1  ' '  Loved  of  God. ' '  2  Our  Lady. 


HOMING    TREASURES  305 

gradually  assuming  a  position  difficult  enough  as 
head  of  the  house  and  informal  guardian  of  her  sister. 

"It  is  not  possible  !"  he  said  to  himself,  as  he 
sat  watching  her,  as  she  pored  over  a  string  of  fig- 
ures he  had  set  down  as  a  kind  of  guide  for  her 
future  plans.  "  It  is  not  only  impossible,  but  it  is 
against  our  custom,  for  two  girls  to  live  alone  with 
an  invalid  old  lady  who  will  never  be  able  to  care 
for  their  worldly  prospects.  She  is  too  pretty — 
both  are  too  pretty  to  take  the  reins  into  their  own 
hands.  As  to  the  little  one  the  sefiora  and  I  un- 
derstand each  other,  I  think,  and  she  is  safe,  but 
this  fair  one — no," no,  it  must  not  be." 

"You  have  some  relative,  I  suppose,  who  will 
come  to  live  with  you  now,"  the  lawyer  said  aloud, 
as  Luz  folded  up  the  paper  with  a  sigh,  yet  with 
the  pucker  smoothed  out  of  her  forehead.  ""It  is 
all  very  well  for  you,  senorita,  to  hold  the  purse 
strings  for  the  Sefiora  Barreda,  but  there  are  other 
things  to  be  considered." 

"  I  know,"  Luz  replied  quietly.  "  My  sister  and 
I  have  been  talking  it  over  with  our  grandmother. 
We  need  no  one,  however,  to  take  our  grand- 
mother's place  while  she  is  still  with  us.  Indeed, 
we  have  no  relations  who  could  do  so.  We  shall 
be  very  quiet,  and  Ninfa  likes  best  to  live  at  the 
hacienda — is  it  not  so,  chiquita?"  she  asked,  turn- 
ing to  Ninfa  who  sat  in  embarrassed  silence,  and  now 
blushed  under  the  double  gaze  directed  toward  her. 


306  THE  senora's  granddaughters 

"Mama  grows  more  restless  every  day,  and 
wishes  to  go  to  the  country  away  from  the  noise  of 
the  streets,"  Luz  explained;  "so  we  shall  have  to 
take  her  to  El  Dorado  as  soon  as  she  is  strong 
enough  to  bear  the  drive.  I  have  never  been 
there  since  I  was  a  baby,"  she  added  brightly, 
"but  I  think  I  know  the  house  and  the  beech  trees 
and  the  kitchen  court  where  the  fennel  grows,  as 
well  as  if  I  had  lived  there  always.  Ninfa  has  de- 
scribed it  all  to  me  a  hundred  times." 

"You  do  not  know  how  mama  has  changed, 
Sefior  Cardenas,"  Ninfa  exclaimed  piteously.  "She 
cannot  do  the  least  thing  for  herself.  You  cannot 
think  how  sad  it  is  !" 

"Then  you  will  need  some  one  to  take  her 
place,  senorita,"  he  said,  returning  to  the  subject 
from  which  he  had  been  diverted. 

"  Juana  will  go  with  us  to  help  us  take  care  of 
mama"  Luz  replied  in  her  firm,  soft  voice,  "and 
my  mama — Dona  Teresa,  who  took  care  of  me  in 
Saltillo,"  she  explained  with  some  hesitation,  "is 
to  live  with  us  also.      Oh,  we  shall  do  very  well." 

"But  you  will  marry,  senorita,"  Don  Anselmo 
said  quickly,  with  the  twinkle  again  in  his  eye, 
"and  there  will  be  your  younger — I  mean  your 
twin  sister  to  be  thought  of  then." 

"I  shall  not  marry,  sefior,"  Luz  said  simply,  as 
if  to  close  the  discussion  and  with  a  nervous  flush 
upon  her  cheek,  "and  I  shall  take  care  of  Ninfa." 


HOMING    TREASURES  307 

Senor  Anselmo  Cardenas  then  rose  from  his  seat 
and  took  leave. 

"Farewell,  senoritas,"  he  said.  "Please  remem- 
ber that  your  grandmother's  friend  is  ready  to 
serve  you  at  any  time.  If,  for  instance,  anything 
more  serious  should  happen  to  the  Senora  Barreda, 
I,  as  her  lawyer,  have  her  last  will  and  testament 
in  my  keeping.  It  was  made  after  she  learned  of 
your  existence,  Sefiorita  Luz,  and  will  be  produced 
when  required.  Ah,"  he  added,  with  a  quick 
change  of  manner,  and  playfully  tapping  Ninfa's 
cheek  with  a  slender  forefinger,  "this  little  girl  will 
never  choose  a  single  life,  eh,  sefiorita  ?  Some  of 
us  older  people  have  secrets  too,  little  one." 

Then  with  profound  bows  and  a  fatherly  smile 
for  Ninfa,  he  left  the  sala,  and  old  Pedro  was  soon 
heard  ushering  him  through  the  portico  below. 

"Luz,  what  did  he  mean?"  Ninfa  asked,  with 
the  warm  color  still  in  her  cheeks. 

"  That  our  grandmother  and  some  of  his  family, 
perhaps  Dona  Marguerita,  have  been  planning  to 
marry  you  to  his  son,  Anselmo  Cardenas,"  Luz 
answered  bluntly.  "  I  should  think  you  would 
have  understood  that.  As  for  me,  I  had  begun  to 
think  that  there  was  no  Anselmo  after  all." 

"Ay  de  mi,  Lucita !  That  is  the  first  unkind 
word  you  have  ever  spoken  to  me,"  Ninfa  ex- 
claimed, walking  away  from  her  sister  with  head 
erect  and  sparkling  eyes. 


308  the  senora's  granddaughters 

Of  course  there  had  to  be  a  swift  making-up 
after  this  outburst  and  Ninfa  was  assured,  over  and 
over,  that  in  her  sister's  eyes  she  was  much  too 
good  for  any  Anselmito,  howsoever  honest  his 
brown  eyes.  Yet  Luz  did  not  hesitate  to  say  that 
she  would  like  to  see,  for  once,  her  sister's  cavalier 
of  the  red  steed  and  the  glittering  spurs,  and  she 
persisted  in  seeming  unconvinced  of  his  reality, 
even  though  Ninfa  pleaded  the  closed  drawing- 
room  windows  and  the  retirement  of  their  life,  as  a 
reason  for  his  invisibility. 

"  How  do  you  know,  liermana  mia,  that  Anselmo 
does  not  ride  past  our  house  a  dozen  times  a  day  ?  " 
Ninfa  whispered  that  same  night,  mischief  dimpling 
her  face  as  they  stopped  to  count  the  stars  above 
the  court  They  had  just  left  their  grandmother's 
room  and  were  on  their  way  to  bed. 

' 'Perhaps  he  does,  quien  sadef"  Luz  returned 
with  a  laugh.  "But  at  the  hacienda  more  than 
stone  walls  will  separate  you  from  the  sight  of  him 
prancing  by.      How  will  you  like  that,  Ninfa?" 

"  Have  you  forgotten  that  his  aunt,  Dona  Mar- 
guerita,  has  promised  to  come  and  make  mama  a 
long  visit  there  during  next  year?"  was  the  quick 
retort.  "  She  says  that  she  will  have  Anselmo 
come  to  escort  her  home  again.  How  does  that 
seem  to  you  ?" 


X 


IF  Ninfa  had  been  less  of  a  child,  and  if  both 
sisters  had  known  more  of  the  gay  world  into 
which  their  grandmother's  name  might  have  intro- 
duced them,  it  would  have  been  no  more  than  nat- 
ural that  they  should  feel  some  pangs  of  disap- 
pointment at  giving  up  their  city  home  to  be 
"buried  in  the  dust  of  the  hacienda." 

It  is  true  that  as  the  traveling  carriage  bearing 
away  the  sehora,  Juana,  and  the  twins,  rolled  slowly 
down  the  Calle  del  Seminario,  Ninfa  cast  more 
than  one  backward  glance  at  the  stone  balconies 
on  the  second  floor  of  the  Casa  Barreda.  From 
the  last  of  these  glances  she  drew  in  her  head  sud- 
denly from  the  window  of  the  carriage,  with  a 
vivid  color  bathing  her  cheeks  and  brow.  In  reply 
to  Lucita's  concerned  question  as  to  whether  she 
had  bumped  her  head  violently,  Ninfa  only  smiled 
in  blushing  confusion  and  pointed  to  the  small 
square  of  glass  set  in  the  rear  curtain  of  the  carriage. 
Luz  half  arose  from  her  seat  beside  her  sister,  op- 
posite the  senora  and  Juana,  and  peered  out  of  the 
tiny  window  above  her  grandmother's  pillow. 

Then  for  the  first  time  she  saw  young  Cardenas 
in  all  the  brave  attire  of  a  Mexican  gallant,  seated 

309 


3IO      THE  SENORAS  GRANDDAUGHTERS 

upon  his  red  horse  and  following  the  carriage  at  a 
distance  of  a  few  yards.  He  seemed  to  restrain 
his  horse  with  a  good  deal  of  difficulty,  for  the 
spirited  Rosina  was  not  accustomed  to  be  held  in 
check  behind  slow-going  traveling  carriages.  Her 
innocent  mind  was  not  set  upon  escorting  a  sick 
old  lady  and  two  bright-eyed  girls.  She  curvetted 
and  pranced  and  gave  her  rider  as  much  trouble 
as  she  could  in  his  efforts  to  keep  from  riding  down 
the  people  along  the  way.  Toddling  children, 
almost  under  the  feet  of  the  nervous  horse  gesticu- 
lated violently,  exclaiming  : 

"  Mir  a  !  mira  !  el  caballero  bonito  I"1 

The  carriage  rattled  through  the  streets,  the 
horseman  keeping  'in  the  rear  until  the  last  paving 
stone  was  left  behind,  and  the  road  lay  half-a-foot 
deep  in  dust  for  many  leagues  ahead. 

Half  an  hour  afterward  a  wayside  wine  shop  ap- 
peared in  a  group  of  adobe  hovels,  and  the  leg- 
end it  bore  across  its  glaring  yellow  front  was,  "The 
Tail  of  the  Devil." 

As  the  carriage  rolled  slowly  past  this  aptly 
named  resort,  Anselmo,  having  doubtless  had  his 
fill  of  the  white  dust  and  blazing  sunlight,  urged 
Rosina  to  make  a  sudden  plunge  forward,  and  for 
an  instant  the  handsome  pair  appeared  alongside 
of  the  carriage,  just  opposite  Ninfa's  open  window. 

In  a  flash  the  dove-colored  sombrero  was  raised, 

1  "Look  !  look  !  the  beautiful  horseman  !  " 


HOMING    TREASURES  3  I  I 

and  the  curly  head  underneath  bowed  low  over  the 
pommel  of  the  saddle,  and  in  the  next  instant  An- 
selmo  Cardenas'  brown  eyes  swept  the  interior  of 
the  carriage,  and  a  smile  gave  an  additional  curl  to 
the  ends  of  his  mustache. 

"Adios,  senoritas,"  he  cried  softly,  "and  may 
your  journey  come  to  a  happy  end !" 

Then  he  whirled  Rosina  around  and  they  set  off 
at  a  sweeping  gallop  in  the  direction  of  the  city. 

"What  is  it?  "  the  sefiora  asked  in  alarm,  rous- 
ing from  a  doze. 

"Only  a  friend  of  the  senoritas  to  say  'Adios,' 
sefiora,"  Juana  answered  soothingly.  "Now  we 
are  really  off,  you  see,  and  you  will  soon  find  your- 
self at  the  hacienda.  Look  at  -the  flocks  of  sheep 
going  by.  Valgame !  what  a  dust  they  make  ! 
And  to  think  that  we  are  to  have  no  more  rain  till 
June!" 

"  Now,  Luz,  was  that  the  spirit  of  a  man,  or  a 
real  Anselmo  ? "  Ninfa  whispered  to  her  sister. 
"  Did  you  not  see  him,  my  soul,  and  hear  him 
speak?" 

"  It  must  be  a  great  deal  of  trouble  to  have  a 
novio,"  Luz  said  loftily.  "  One  is  always  uncertain 
as  to  when  he  is  to  appear.  I  am  sure  that  if  he 
is  not  a  spirit,  he  is  as  startling  as  if  he  were.  He 
made  my  heart  jump  with  fright  when  he  plunged 
up  to  the  window." 

"Ah,  but  that  is  just  what  is  so  delightful,  Lucita 


312  THE    SENORA  S    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

mia"  Ninfa  exclaimed  delightedly.  "  It  would  be 
stupid  to  have  a  novio  around  all  the  time,  with 
Pedro  to  let  him  in  and  out,  just  like  other  people. 
It  is  the  surprises  and  the  nice  little  frights  that 
make  it  so  interesting.  Anselmo  is  a  splendid 
novio ;  one  could  never  grow  tired  of  the  sight  of 
him,  when  one  never  knows  when  he  is  to  appear." 

Whether  Luz  was  prevailed  upon  by  this  argu- 
ment to  take  Ninfa's  point  of  view  does  not  con- 
cern us  now.  Both  girls  were  silent  after  this  tilt 
of  words  between  them,  and  the  coach  lumbered 
on  until  an  hour  past  noon,  when  the  low  walls  of 
the  hacienda  of  El  Dorado  came  into  view. 

Every  inhabitant  of  the  village  had  turned  out 
into  the  crooked  street  to  welcome  home  the 
sefiora  and  her  family.  Dogs  barked,  babies 
crowed,  women  waved  their  rebozos,  and  men 
stood  with  bare  heads  as  the  carriage  rolled  by. 
There  was  no  vociferous  demonstration  of  welcome 
from  the  grown  people,  on  account  of  the  sad  fate 
which  had  returned  the  Sefiora  Barreda  to  them. 

"Ay  de  mi!  There  she  lies,  poor  soul,  not  able 
to  lift  hand  or  foot,"  they  whispered  among  them- 
selves. "  Old  Prieto,  the  viejeto,1  says  that  she  has 
only  the  strength  of  a  babe,  and  that  the  young 
ladies  nurse  her  all  day  long,  bless  them  !" 

"There   she   is,    the   Sefiorita   Ninfa!     See   her 
bright  eyes  and  the  roses  in  her  cheeks.     But  look  I 
1  Aged  iuan. 


&  3 


HOMING    TREASURES  3  I  3 

look !  the  other  is  on  the  other  side.  Mother  of 
God  !  she  is  like  our  Lady  herself.  What  a  smile  ! 
what  eyes  !  what  features  of  an  angel  !  " 

Amid  these  wondering  comments  along  the  way, 
the  great  gates  of  the  courtyard  were  reached,  and 
the  carriage  was  driven  through  and  up  to  the  very 
door  of  one  of  the  rooms.  Four  stout  peons  lifted 
the  stricken  lady  from  the  improvised  couch  of 
carriage  cushions  and  bore  her  to  her  own  bed. 

Long  hours  of  exhaustion  followed  the  first  ex- 
citement caused  by  this  return,  and  it  seemed  at  one 
time  as  if  the  sefiora  would  never  again  leave  her  bed. 

After  a  time,  however,  she  rallied,  and  by  the 
time  the  wheeled  chair,  long  ago  ordered  from 
Texas,  reached  the  hacienda,  the  sefiora  was  able 
to  be  placed  in  it  and  rolled  out  into  the  court. 

The  long,  low  house  of  adobes,  plastered  over 
with  mortar  and  colored  a  light  green,  was  very 
different  in  style  and  furnishings  from  the  noble 
house  left  behind  in  the  city,  fifteen  leagues  away. 

No  one,  however,  seemed  to  regret  the  change, 
Luz,  least  of  all,  for  the  pleasant  one-storied  house, 
opening  out  upon  the  flower-filled  court,  did  not 
present  such  intricacies  of  internal  management  as 
had  the  Casa  Barreda. 

So  the  town  house  was  in  the  end  let  to  strangers 
upon  the  advice  of  the  lawyer,  Anselmo  Cardenas, 
and  life  at  the  hacienda  settled  into  a  smooth  rou- 
tine of  uneventful  days. 


3  14  THE    SENORAS    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

The  senora  would  recline  in  her  chair  for  hours 
in  the  sunshine,  with  her  lap  filled  with  flowers, 
smiling  contentedly  at  her  granddaughters  reading 
or  sewing  near  by  in  the  shade  of  the  house  wall. 
Though  she  was  as  helpless  as  an  infant,  her  placid 
content  exacted  from  all  around  her  the  loving  care 
that  Mexicans  are  wont  to  expend  upon  the  afflicted 
ones  of  their  families. 

One  strange  fancy  the  senora  had  which  endeared 
her  much  to  the  swarthy  families  of  peons  who 
worked  on  the  banana  plantation.  A  brown-skinned 
little  fellow  of  nine  or  ten  years  of  age  had  been 
left  an  orphan  and  dependent  upon  an  aged  uncle 
for  a  home  and  food.  This  boy,  who  chanced  to 
enter  the  sefiora's  courtyard  one  day  on  an  errand 
with  the  cook,  passed  near  the  wheeled  chair  and 
was  immediately  accosted  by  the  occupant 

"Ah,  there  is  another  Justo!"  the  lady  cried 
in  her  high  thin  voice,  and  with  a  pleased  smile. 
"Come  here,  child,  and  speak  to  me.  Ninfa,  he 
is  like  our  Justo,  with  his  bold  brow  and  solemn 
eyes.  Give  the  boy  a  large  piece  of  Teresa's  pan 
dulce,1  and  see  that  he  comes  to  us  again  to-morrow." 

After  that  day  the  child  was  virtually  adopted 
into  the  household,  as  his  presence  seemed  in  some 
mysterious  way  to  give  pleasure  to  the  senora. 
Her  eyes  would  follow  him  about  the  court  in  his 
barefooted  gambols  with  dog  or  goat,  and  it  was 

« Cake. 


HOMING    TREASURES  3  I  5 

not  long  before  the  boy  himself  forgot  that  he  had 
ever  had  another  name  than  that  of  Justo. 

After  as  little  delay  as  possible,  Teresa  with  the 
baby  had  arrived  at  the  ranch,  having  been  gladly 
summoned  from  Saltillo  by  the  sefiora,  and  was  in- 
stalled as  assistant  housekeeper,  much  to  Lucita's 
satisfaction.  Pepito  grew  plump  and  merry,  and 
browner  than  ever,  tumbling  in  the  sand  of  the 
kitchen  court  with  Justo  as  his  devoted  guardian. 

By  degrees  the  Sefiora  Barreda  recovered  suffi- 
cient of  her  own  strength  to  assist  Teresa  by  her 
counsel  and  so  relieve  Luz  of  the  administration  of 
household  affairs,  although  no  longer  able  to  pre- 
side in  person  over  every  detail,  as  had  hitherto 
been  the  custom  of  the  indefatigable  hacendada} 
One  granddaughter  or  the  other  was  rarely  absent 
from  the  invalid's  side.  When  the  sun  stood  high 
over  the  court  of  the  flowers,  the  great  chair  was 
carefully  wheeled  into  the  shaded  sala,  where  the 
sefiora  might  take  her  siesta,  reclining  upon  the 
rubber  cushions,  undisturbed  by  the  shouts  of  the 
children  at  play  over  the  wall  in  the  outer  court. 
The  early  and  late  hours  of  the  day  were  spent  in 
one  or  the  other  of  the  courts,  with  Luz  and  Ninfa 
at  their  sewing  beside  her  chair,  or  reading  aloud 
in  turn  from  the  books  brought  home  from  school. 

The  useless  limbs  gave  the  grandmother  no  pain, 
and  though  the  helplessness  of  the  white  hand  rest- 

1  Lady  owner  ot  the  ranch. 


3 16  the  senora's  granddaughters 

ing  upon  her  lap  in  pathetic  idleness  sent  many  a 
pang  to  the  hearts  of  the  twins,  the  lady  herself 
showed  unexpected  resignation  to  the  loss  of  the 
vigor  of  her  old  age.  Troubled  by  few  things,  she 
enjoyed  the  world  directly  within  her  ken,  doting 
upon  her  granddaughters  and  finding  in  their  caress- 
ing love  a  balm  for  all  that  she  had  lost.  Their 
simple  talk  about  the  Protestant  school,  which  could 
not  well  be  kept  out  of  their  conversation  altogether, 
began  erelong  to  interest  her  in  spite  of  herself  and 
her  prejudices.  The  old,  proud  fire  of  her  eyes 
was  more  and  more  replaced,  as  she  gazed  upon 
her  children,  by  the  gentle  eagerness  of  one  who 
thought  much  and  who  was  slowly  finding  some- 
thing new  and  sweet  in  her  contemplations. 

The  Bibles  were  no  longer  forbidden  books,  and 
more  than  once  during  the  first  weeks  following  the 
removal  to  the  hacienda,  the  sefiora  asked  that  cer- 
tain portions  referred  to  by  Luz  or  Ninfa  in  their 
talk  might  be  read  aloud  to  her. 

As  she  watched  the  girls  at  work  among  the 
flowers,  or  bending  over  their  embroidery  frames, 
in  rare  moments  of  silence  the  senora's  medita- 
tions sometimes  took  such  shape  as  this  : 

"The  children  are  teaching  me  many  things. 
At  last  I  begin  to  see  that  the  Bible  is  a  book  to 
be  read  and  to  be  understood,  even  by  the  un- 
learned, whatever  the  priests  may  say.  Surely  if 
such  a  child  as  my  Ninfa  may  read  it  and  obey  its 


MOMING    TREASURES  $1? 

teachings  in  her  innocent  youth,  an  old  woman 
such  as  I  am  need  fear  no  evil  from  the  same  teach- 
ings. Every  day  they  shall  read  it  to  me,  and  if 
obeying  its  commands  means  Protestantism,  then — 
who  knows? — even  I  may  not  want  to  disobey. 
How  well  it  was  that  I  had  not  really  burned  the 
books  when  the  stroke  of  God  fell  upon  me." 

With  all  the  help  afforded  by  Dona  Teresa  and 
the  nurse,  Juana,  there  were  many  light  duties  to 
occupy  the  sisters  during  the  long,  bright  days 
before  the  sudden  twilights  fell  and  the  stars  rose 
over  the  hilltops.  There  were  the  flowers  to  be 
tended,  in  their  great  earthen  jars,  and  the  vigorous 
smilax  vines  to  be  trained  carefully  over  the  face 
of  the  whitewashed  wall  of  the  corridor.  On  most 
days  there  was  a  little  studying  to  be  done,  when 
Luz  smoothed  Ninfa's  road  to  learning. 

What  if  the  English  learned  at  school  languished 
by  degrees  from  disuse,  and  the  quaint  old  piano 
in  the  sala  gave  forth  an  uncertain  sound  in  re- 
sponse to  the  touch  of  warm,  brown  fingers?  The 
best  lessons  learned  during  Ninfa's  short  school 
term  still  held  fast  in  her  memory  and  bore  fruit  in 
her  life.  The  green-covered  Bible  revealed,  day 
by  day,  many  truths  to  the  simple  hearts  seeking 
them,  which  have  been  hidded  from  "the  wise  and 
prudent "  through  all  the  ages. 

On  some  evenings,  when  work  was  laid  aside 
and    a   sudden    shower  of  the    rainy  season    had 


3 1  8  THE  senora's  granddaughters 

driven  them  from  the  dampness  of  the  court  to  the 
candle-lighted  sala  inside,  Teresa  was  to  be  coaxed 
into  telling  of  the  peasant  mama  who  rode  away 
from  Las  Rosas  one  fine  day  at  the  side  of  the 
handsome  Vicente,  and  even  the  sefiora  learned, 
for  the  children's  sake,  to  listen  calmly  to  the  sim- 
ple recital  of  Manuela's  goodness  and  cleverness 
in  the  poor  little  home  beyond  the  mountains. 
On  one  occasion  Teresa  gave  the  reins  to  her  fancy, 
and  from  telling  of  the  peasant  bride,  began  to 
picture  the  day  to  come  when,  instead  of  a  rough 
mountain  pony,  a  shining  coach  would  enter  the 
gates  of  El   Dorado  only  to  turn  again   and  bear 

Ninfa    away  toward    the  city But   here  the 

sefiora  was  quick  to  cry  "Enough  ! "  The  simple- 
hearted  Teresa  must  not  pry  too  curiously  into  what 
the  future  must  bring.  Not  yet  would  the  grand- 
mother allow  herself  to  be  reminded  of  the  inevitable 
day  to  arrive  when  Ninfa  should  transfer  her  sweet 
despotism  from  herself  to  Rosina's  young  master. 
One  day  during  the  following  summer,  Luz  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  a  missionary  worker  in  a 
neighboring  State,  offering  her  a  position  as  teacher 
in  the  school  connected  with  one  of  the  mission- 
stations  there.  This  letter  was  immediately  shared 
with  the  grandmother  and  Ninfa,  while  Teresa 
stood  by  to  hear  the  reading.  The  foster  mother's 
heart  swelled  with  proud  satisfaction.  She  wished 
that  Luis  might  have  been  alive  to  hear  it  with  her. 


HOMING    TREASURES  3  19 

Quite  different  from  Teresa's  sensations  were  those 
of  Ninfa  on  hearing  the  proposition  which  would 
again  deprive  her  of  her  sister  who  had  indeed  be- 
come as  dear  to  her  as  her  own  self,  according  to 
the  prediction  of  Prieto.  With  characteristic  aban- 
don she  therefore  set  herself  in  opposition  to  the 
plan. 

"  She  shall  not  go  from  us,  mama"  she  exclaimed 
indignantly,  falling  upon  her  knees  and  resting  her 
head  in  the  old,  coaxing  manner  against  the  grand- 
mother's shoulder.  "We  cannot  spare  our  Luz 
now,  can  we,  dearest  ?  Speak,  mama,  and  say  that 
she  shall  never  leave  us." 

The  sefiora's  eyes  searched  Lucita's  face  before 
her  lips  opened  for  a  reply  to  Ninfa.  Luz  met  the 
glance  and  smiled,  Vicente's  own  smile,  and  the 
senora,  suppressing  a  sigh,  turned  her  gaze  to  the 
eager,  dark  face  against  her  shoulder. 

"The  letter  speaks  of  the  late  autumn  as  the 
time  for  the  school  to  open,  Ninfa,"  she  said  at  last. 
"So,  even  if  we  agree  to  send  Luz  from  us,  there 
will  be  many  weeks  before  the  time  comes  for  the 
separation.  Luz,  herself,  shall  decide,  for  she  is 
now  a  woman  and  wise  for  her  age.  If  she  goes 
she  will  return  after  a  while,  and  it  will  not  be  as 
though  we  had  lost  her  again.  Luz,  do  you  wish 
to  teach  this  school  ?  The  work  will  be  hard  and 
you  have  no  need  to  work,  as  you  well  know." 

44  It  is  to  teach  the  Bible,  mama"  Luz  answered, 


320  THE   SENORA's    GRANDDAUGHTERS 

softly,  with  an  arm  thrown  across  the  back  of  her 
grandmother's  chair.  "  I  could  not  leave  you  and 
Ninfa  and  our  Teresa  and  Pepito  for  anything 
else." 

"What  was  it  you  read  this  morning,  Lucita, 
while  Ninfa  brushed  my  hair?"  the  sefiora  asked 
thoughtfully,  stroking  Ninfa's  bowed  head.  "  It 
was  something  about  leaving  home  and  mothers 
and  sisters,  was  it  not?  I  do  not  remember  the 
words  very  well,  but  you  who  carry  in  your 
memory  so  many  wise  sayings  from  the  book  will 
recall  them  to  my  mind.  Hush,  Ninfa,"  she  added, 
"why  should  you  weep  so  bitterly?  Luz  is  not 
yet  gone.  Listen,  little  star  of  my  soul,  she  will 
tell  us  something  from  the  book  you  cherish." 

"  Was  it  this,  mama  ?  '  Every  one  that  hath 
forsaken  houses,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father, 
or  mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or  lands,  for  my 
name's  sake,  shall  receive  a  hundred-fold,  and  shall 
inherit  everlasting  life.'  " 

"Yes,  yes,"  the  sefiora  murmured  musingly. 
"Strange  words  and  bold.  Yet,  if  the  Lord  said 
them,  they  must  be  true." 

"And  Luz  will  go?  "  Ninfa  asked,  in  smothered 
accents  from  her  grandmother's  shoulder. 

The  reply  came  from  Luz  herself,  whose  sweet 
lips  quivered,  though  a  steadfast  light  shone  in  her 
gray  eyes.      "Yes,  Ninfa,  I  shall  go." 

And  Teresa,  standing  by,  rejoiced,  forgetting  all 


HOMING    TREASURES  321 

else  in  the  thought  that  now  truly  Luz  was  to  be- 
come the  teacher  of  "  a  roomful  of  uifias." 

Such  would  surely  be  no  uncomely  sight,  and  if 
it  should  mean  hard  work  and  a  lonely  life,  are  not 
hard  work  and  lonely  hours  for  thought  and  aspira- 
tion sure  stepping-stones  in  the  midst  of  the  flood 
of  life's  hurry  and  turmoil? 


APPENDIX  I 


Translated  paragraph  from  "El  Testigo"  pub- 
lished in  Guadalajara,  Mexico  (Congregational  Mis- 
sion), March  15,  1896. 

"GO    TO    JOSEPH." 

Such  is  the  title  of  a  newspaper  paragraph  in 
the  so-called  "Friend  of  the  Truth." 

After  mentioning  some  expressions  of  adulation 
of  St.  Joseph,  which  it  is  said  the  Virgin  used  in 
speaking  with  St.  Bridget,  the  writer  remarks  : 
"For  this,  the  Fathers  and  Doctors  of  the  Church 
.  .  .  do  not  hesitate  to  declare,  following  the 
sacred  text,  that  our  salvation  is  in  his  hands,  be- 
cause he  is  able,  by  his  intercession,  to  accomplish 
what  Mary  can  by  privilege  and  Jesus  by  his  own 
will.     Ite  ad  Joseph,  Gen.  41  :  55." 

We  cannot  believe  that  the  author  of  these  lines 
is  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  the  words  which  he 
quotes  from  the  book  of  Genesis  were  uttered,  not 
by  divine  inspiration,  but  by  a  heathen  king,  who 
sent  the  people,  not  to  gain  the  salvation  of  their 
souls,  but  to  buy  food  for  themselves  and  their  cat- 
tle, to  Joseph,  the  son  of  Jacob,  who  died  about 
seventeen  hundred  years  before  the  birth  of 
Joseph,  "the  husband  of  Mary,  and  reputed  father 
of  Jesus."     Therefore,   the   effrontery  with    which 

323 


324  APPENDIX    I 

the  Romanists  declare  that  they  "follow  the  sacred 
text "  when  they  counsel  the  people  to  have  re- 
course to  Joseph,  is  inexpressible  and  almost  in- 
comprehensible. And  to  write  above  this  the 
name  of  " Friend  of  the  Truth"  ! 


APPENDIX  II 
D/AGfiAM  OF  MADERO  MST/TUTE. 

GROUND  PLAN. 


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325 


APPENDIX  III 


Extract  from  the  introduction  to  "El  Nuevo  Tes- 
tamento  de  Nuestro  Seizor  Jesucristo :  con  notas  ;  y 
ademds  con  indices  historico,  cronologico,  de  sen- 
tences sagradas,  y  de  las  epistolas  y  evangelios  para 
todos  los  domingos  del  ano.     Londres,  1874" 

The  reading  of  the  Holy  Bible  has  received 
the  express  sanction  of  his  holiness  the  pope,  Pius 
VI.,  according  to  this  letter,  addressed  to  the  arch- 
bishop of  Florence,  the  most  illustrious  and  rev- 
erend Antonio  Martini  : 

"Very  dear  Son  : 

"  Health  and  blessing  in  our  Lord. 

"When  a  deluge  of  evil  books  which  so  grossly 
attack  the  Catholic  religion,  circulates  even  among 
the  unlearned,  thou  art  very  seasonable  in  judging 
that  the  faithful  should  with  great  ardor  be  incited 
to  a  reading  of  the  sacred  Scriptures.  They  are 
truly  most  abundant  fountains,  which  ought  to  be 
open  to  all,  in  order  that  they  may  imbibe  from 
them  purity  of  habits  and  of  doctrine,  and  that  the 
errors  so  extensively  disseminated  in  these  corrupt 
times  may  be  dissipated.  This  thou  hast  done  op- 
portunely, as  thou  dost  aver,  publishing  these  same 
Holy  Scriptures  in  the  language  of  thy  country, 
within    reach    of    every    one.    .    .    We    commend, 

327 


328  APPENDIX    III 

therefore,  thy  undoubted  learning,  united  with  thy 
great  piety;  and  we  give  thee  due  thanks  for  the 
books  which  thou  hast  had  the  care  to  submit  to 
us,  which  we  shall  read,  even  though  it  be  but 
lightly,  as  soon  as  possible.  Meanwhile,  as  a 
pledge  of  our  pontifical  benevolence,  receive  our 
apostolic  benediction,  which  we  send  most  lovingly 
to  thee,  dear  son. 

"  Given  in  Rome  on  the  Kalends  of  April,  1778, 
in  the  fourth  year  of  our  Pontificate. 

Felippe  Buonamicci,  Pius  P.  P.  VI. 

Latin  Secretary." 


n 


